EDGEWOOD, md – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland has entered a consent judgment ordering hotel owner and manager Akhilbhai Patel to pay $78,575 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 34 current and former employees at two Edgewood, Maryland locations. The Department also assessed Patel a $6,440 civil money penalty due to the willful nature of the violations.

PALMETTO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Utopia Fresh South LLC – operating as Taylor & Fulton Packing LLC in Palmetto, Florida – has paid $87,920 in back wages to 109 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

KENNETT SQUARE, PA - After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent judgment ordering Blown Away Dry Bar and Salon – based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania – to pay a $40,000 settlement to a fired hair stylist. The legal action resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Eye Productions Inc. for failing to protect employees from hazards while filming a television show in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Proposed penalties total $9,472.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Two Philadelphia restaurants, J.H.S.K, Inc. and Osaka Japan Restaurant, Inc., both doing business as Osaka, and their owner, have agreed to a consent judgment ordering them to pay $935,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 201 employees for willful violations of the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employers must also pay a $65,000 civil money penalty. The consent judgment must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

OAKLAND, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), EWC & Associates Inc. – a Northern California owner and operator of two horse training facilities – will pay $1,270,683 in back wages and damages to 30 employees for multiple work visa program and wage violations.

PORTLAND, OR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Vasquez Family Services – a farm labor contractor – and housing provider Jorge Vasquez were assessed $35,000 in civil penalties after violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) left farm workers living in squalid living conditions at their facility in Silverton, Oregon. Vasquez Family Living Services will pay $30,000 in civil penalties for the violations, and housing provider Jorge Vasquez will pay $5,000.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Administrative Law Judge Theresa Timlin has issued an order requiring TLC Precision Wafer Technologies Inc. – based in Minneapolis, Minnesota – to pay a former employee $43,366 in back wages for violating the labor provisions of the H-1B visa program. Additionally, the company has been ordered to pay pre-judgment and post-judgement interest.

BLOOMINGTON, IN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Ji Enterprises will pay $81,127 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 12 current and former employees at two of its Bloomington, Indiana, restaurants – Restaurant Ami and Toto's Uncle.

SAN DIEGO, CA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation, Sundance Natural Foods Company – based in Oceanside, California – will pay $13,641 in back wages to 45 employees for unpaid overtime as a result of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act (MSPA). Additionally, the company was assessed $5,130 in civil penalties.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – After an investigation by the U.S. Department Of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah has ordered Metal Rock Construction Inc. to pay $50,000 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 86 employees for violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor received a “Best in Scorecard Category” award from MeriTalk for its IT modernization efforts. The award is based on the Department’s most recent Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard.

DES MOINES, IA ­- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will present an educational forum about developments in its policies and regulations and its Payroll Audit Independent Determination Program (PAID), during a February 19, 2019, webinar for Iowa and Nebraska employers. PAID facilitates resolution of potential overtime and minimum wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

GARY, IN – After a U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation, four contractors working on the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Village of Hope housing project in Gary, Indiana, will pay 53 current and former employees a total of $255,474 for violating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA).

WHD investigators determined the contractors failed to pay the correct prevailing wages and fringe benefits.

PROVIDENCE, RI – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Dimeo Construction Company have established a strategic partnership to promote workplace safety for the General Dynamics Electric Boat Universal Buildings 9A/9B construction project in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

PRINCETON, WV– The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia has entered a consent judgment against XMV Inc. - operator of three underground coal mines – following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) that found XMV violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

MOBILE, AL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), AltaPointe Health Systems Inc. – operating in the Mobile, Alabama, area as BayPointe Hospital, EastPointe Hospital, and CarePointe – will pay an employee $6,588 in lost wages and incurred medical expenses for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

BONITA SPRINGS, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) into rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Kelly Roofing LLC – based in Bonita Springs, Florida – paid $70,068 in back wages to 155 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

In the week ending February 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 239,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 234,000 to 235,000. The 4-week moving average was 231,750, an increase of 6,750 from the previous week's revised average. This is the highest level for this average since January 27, 2018 when it was 234,000. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 224,750 to 225,000.

EASTLAKE, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Conn-Selmer Inc. for exposing workers to copper dust and machine hazards at the company's Eastlake, Ohio, musical instrument manufacturing facility. The company faces penalties of $200,230 for two repeated and seven serious safety and health violations.