SALINAS, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Empire Farm Labor Contractor – based in Salinas, California – has paid $38,260 in back wages to 79 employees for multiple violations found under the H-2A temporary agricultural worker visa program and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA). The contractor also paid $18,413 in civil money penalties for the violations found in Imperial County, California, that occurred from December 2018 to May 2019.

PHOENIX, AZ – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Diamond Kitchen & Bath Inc. – based in Phoenix, Arizona – will pay $15,000 in civil penalties and an additional $15,000 in lost wages for violating federal law by requesting one of its employees to submit to a polygraph test.

BOYNTON BEACH, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Restoration Management 2013 Inc. – operating as ServPro in Boynton Beach, Florida – has paid $201,508 in back wages to 141 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

KANSAS CITY, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Blue Nile Contractors Inc. – based in Birmingham, Missouri – for failing to protect employees from trench collapse and electrical hazards. The company faces $210,037 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced a record-high number of more than 250,000 new apprentices in Fiscal Year 2019, including over 80,000 new apprentices in the last quarter of FY 2019 – a new quarterly record high. The fourth quarter approximate total is 10% more than the fourth quarter of FY 2018, and 37% more than the fourth quarter of FY 2017.

Since the start of 2017, there have been 655,444 new apprentices.

FLORENCE, KY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Pet Wellness Group PLLC – a veterinary medical clinic based in Florence, Kentucky – has paid $7,794 in back wages and liquidated damages to an employee for violating the nursing mothers’ provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SWEDESBORO, NJ – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), a U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judge (ALJ) has ordered Sun Valley Orchards, LLC – a farm in Swedesboro, New Jersey – to pay $344,945 in back wages and $211,800 in civil money penalties. Sun Valley Orchards, LLC will pay the back wages to 147 farmworkers, including 96 temporary foreign workers on H-2A visas.

Specifically, the ALJ found that the employer violated the H-2A provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act when they:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) today released its program results for Fiscal Year 2019. EBSA’s enforcement and benefit advisor programs recovered over $2.5 billion in payments to plans, participants and beneficiaries.

In the week ending November 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 227,000, unchanged from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 2,000 from 225,000 to 227,000. The 4-week moving average was 221,000, an increase of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 500 from 217,000 to 217,500.

DAYTON, OH – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued a consent order and judgment requiring the fiduciaries of Day-Mont Behavioral Health Care Inc. to restore $141,666 to the defunct Dayton, Ohio-based company’s employee benefit health and annuity plans. The mental health services provider ceased operations in 2018.

LOS ANGELES, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has sentenced Erica Carey – former owner of Long Beach Medi-Spa in Long Beach, California – to three years' probation and ordered her to pay $366,740 in restitution for defrauding a maritime union welfare plan.

LAKE PLACID, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Red Harvesting Inc. – a farm labor contractor based in Lake Placid, Florida – has paid $39,527 in wages to 119 employees for violating requirements of the H-2A visa program. The contractor also paid a $1,214 civil penalty, assessed by the Department.

TAMPA, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Gandy SNF LLC – a nursing facility based in Tampa, Florida – has paid $53,018 in back wages to 105 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

BOSTON, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that UPS Ground Freight Inc. – doing business as UPS Freight – violated the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) when managers retaliated against a driver at the Londonderry, New Hampshire, facility.

CHICAGO, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Power Ujamaa Construction have signed a strategic partnership to promote worker safety and health during the construction of an outpatient care center at the Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) – a destination center for cancer and neurological care.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the IRS and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) today released advance informational copies of the 2019 Form 5500 Annual Return/Report and related instructions.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the Administration's latest Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), aimed at increasing price transparency in healthcare through a combined effort of the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury:

LITTLE ROCK, AR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), LRWINS Hospitality LLC– doing business as Wingate by Wyndham and based in Little Rock, Arkansas – paid $12,060 in back wages and liquidated damages to 13 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). WHD also assessed the employer $2,054 in civil money penalties.

BORGER, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Team Industrial Services Inc. – operating in Borger, Texas – has paid $127,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 38 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

DALLAS, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Krunal Enterprise Inc. in Plano, Texas; Krunal Subs LLC in Richardson, Texas; and Krunal Foods LP in Plano, Texas – all with common ownership and doing business as Subway franchisees – have paid $18,151 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 10 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).