May 9, 2023

US Department of Labor offers webinar for hotel industry employers, workers, other stakeholders during National Tourism and Travel Week

Who:              U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division           

What:             Fair Labor Standards Act webinar for hotel industry employers, workers

May 9, 2023

US Department of Labor announces funding opportunity for employer-focused disability policy, technical assistance center

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the availability of $2 million in funds for the first year of a cooperative agreement for an employer-focused, disability policy development and technical assistance center.

May 8, 2023

Federal court finds US Postal Service wrongfully fired employee who reported workplace injury, violated federal worker protections

TACOMA, WA – A federal court in Tacoma has ruled that the U.S. Postal Service retaliated against an employee who reported an injury to supervisors and applied for workers’ compensation benefits in 2019 while on probation as a new postal employee.

May 8, 2023

US Department of Labor awards $2.8M to continue employment, training services to combat Ohio opioid crisis

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an incremental award of more than $2.8 million for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to support its continued efforts to provide employment and training services for people in communities affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

May 8, 2023

US Department of Labor recovers more than $114K in back wages, damages for 100 employees denied overtime by Orlando-based hotel staffing agency

Employer:   APDC Cleaning Services Inc.

                     5824 Precision Drive, Orlando, FL 32819

May 8, 2023

Department of Labor recovers $910K in back wages, damages for 289 Lyndhurst staffing agency employees denied overtime

LYNDHURST, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment in a federal court in New Jersey to recover $910,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 289 employees of a Lyndhurst staffing agency whose pay practices deprived them of hard-earned overtime wages.

May 5, 2023

US Department of Labor, Holder Construction Group LLC partner to promote safety at data center project

Participants:      U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational

                Safety and Health Administration

May 5, 2023

US Department of Labor partners with Georgia agencies, employers to promote safety stand-downs to address workplace mental health awareness

Participants:            

U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Georgia Department of Public Health

Mental Health America of Georgia

May 5, 2023

Statement by Assistant Secretary Julie McClain Downey on April Jobs Report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Public Affairs Julie McClain Downey issued the following statement on the April 2023 Employment Situation Report:

May 4, 2023

US Department of Labor announces report finding nearly half of accommodations for disabled workers have no cost

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that a new report finds that nearly half of workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be implemented at no cost to employers, and of those that do incur a one-time cost, the median expenditure has decreased when compared to previous reports to only $300.

May 4, 2023

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending April 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 242,000, an increase of 13,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 230,000 to 229,000. The 4-week moving average was 239,250, an increase of 3,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 236,000 to 235,750.

May 2, 2023

Federal investigation recovers $672K for 172 firefighters, paramedics after Department of Labor finds City of Gary misapplied overtime rules

GARY, IN – Like all first responders, firefighters employed by the City of Gary must be ready to respond when and wherever needed. In general, they work a 106-hour schedule at fire stations every two weeks in shifts sometimes lasting 24 hours or longer. When duty forces them to exceed their typical schedules, federal law requires their employer to pay overtime wages at time-and-one-half their hourly rates.

May 2, 2023

US Department of Labor partners with Holder Construction Group LLC to promote workplace safety during Trilith community project in South Atlanta

Participants:            

U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Holder Construction Group LLC

Georgia Tech On-Site Consultation Program

What:  Safety partnership agreement

May 2, 2023

Three McDonald’s franchisees in Kentucky pay $212K in fines after federal investigations find 305 minors — including 10-year-olds — working illegally

LOUISVILLE, KY – Working in a kitchen late at night near dangerous cooking equipment is a reality for many adults in the food service industry. But finding 10-year-old kids in such a work environment is a cause for concern and action by the U.S. Department of Labor.

May 2, 2023

Court forbids Popeyes franchisee, manager from intimidating workers, harassing federal investigators during investigation of Harrisburg restaurant

HARRISBURG, PA A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s request to enjoin and restrain the owner of a Popeyes franchise restaurant in Harrisburg and its district manager from threatening workers, harassing federal investigators, and otherwise obstructing an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division.

May 1, 2023

US Department of Labor recovers $101K for 10 sushi restaurant workers in Hawaii after employer denied overtime pay by misapplying exemption

HONOLULU – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $101,694 in back wages and liquidated damages from the owners of a Honolulu restaurant who denied full wages to 10 chefs — many of whom worked as many as 20 hours of overtime each week — by illegally excluding them from overtime compensation.

May 1, 2023

US Department of Labor announces national emphasis program to reduce, prevent workplace falls, leading cause of workplace fatalities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a National Emphasis Program to prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries and the violation the agency cites most frequently in construction industry inspections.

May 1, 2023

Federal court approves plan to distribute assets to participants harmed by underfunded group health plan arrangement operating in 36 states

CHICAGO – Health plan participants, employers and medical providers harmed by a multiple employer welfare arrangement, or “MEWA” operating in 36 states will begin to finally receive payments related to more than $54 million in unpaid health claims after a federal court’s action, prompted by litigation and investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.