STARKVILLE, MS – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Pegasus Tower Co. for exposing employees to falls after a fatality at a Starkville, Mississippi, worksite. The tower building company faces $140,720 in penalties.

DES MOINES, IA – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa has issued a consent order and judgment requiring the fiduciaries of the Shinn 401(k) Retirement Plan to restore $35,032 to the Eddyville, Iowa-based Ben Shinn Trucking Inc.’s employee benefit plan.

SANTA FE, NM – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the New Mexico Human Services Department will pay $1,411 in back wages after initially refusing to provide paid sick leave to an employee who took leave to care for her three young children whose school closed due to coronavirus. The leave is permitted under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA).

SAN ANTONIO, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) Food Management Partners – based in San Antonio, Texas – has paid $1.3 million to 3,000 employees for violations of the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).   

EAU CLAIRE, WI – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Wisconsin Agri-Business Association (WABA), and Wisconsin On-Site Consultation Program have signed a two-year alliance to address safety and health hazards employees face at Wisconsin grain-handling sites.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement today regarding Memorial Day:

“Memorial Day is a most solemn day on which we honor the Americans who gave their lives in service in the United States Military. The freedom we enjoy today was secured by their sacrifice.”

NORTH MIAMI, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited two contractors for failing to protect employees from fall hazards at a construction worksite in North Miami, Florida. Prestige Estates Property Management LLC of North Miami and Jesus Balbuena of Miami, Florida, face $44,146 in penalties.

SPARKS, MD – The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement agreement with the board of trustees of the Food Employers Labor Relations Association (FELRA) and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association (VEBA) Fund, a multi-employer welfare benefit fund. The agreement requires the trustees of the Sparks, Maryland-based fund to pay $431,818 in previously denied severance benefits to 32 former employees of SuperFresh grocery stores. 

SAN JOSE, CA – The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in San Jose, California, will pay $3,680 to one employee after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer repeatedly failed to provide paid sick leave benefits for time the employee spent home caring for her child whose school closed due to coronavirus.  

SOMERTON, AZ – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has led the Somerton School District to pay $1,000 in back wages to an employee who needed to spend five weeks at home caring for her children whose school closed due to the coronavirus.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Flat Glass Distributors Inc. for exposing employees to unguarded machinery and electrical hazards at the Jacksonville, Florida, fabrication and distribution facility. The custom glass shaping and cutting distributor faces $121,446 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC –The U.S. Department of Labor today announced publication of a final rule that expands the ability of private sector employers to communicate retirement plan information online or by email. The rule allows employers to deliver disclosures to plan participants primarily electronically, which will reduce printing, mailing, and related plan costs by an estimated $3.2 billion over the next decade.

In the week ending May 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 2,438,000, a decrease of 249,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 294,000 from 2,981,000 to 2,687,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,042,000, a decrease of 501,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 73,500 from 3,616,500 to 3,543,000.

MITCHELL, SD – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Custom Genetic Solutions LLC – a bull stud facility in Mitchell, South Dakota – for exposing workers to hazardous chemicals and toxic substances after an employee fatality. The company faces penalties of $122,602 for two willful and three serious violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Loren Sweatt of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was scheduled and prepared to testify at the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee hearing this morning. But only yesterday, the committee postponed the hearing.

WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced a final rule that allows employers to offer bonuses or other incentive-based pay to employees whose hours vary from week to week.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA's requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country.

Throughout the course of the pandemic, understanding about the transmission and prevention of infection has improved. The government and the private sector have taken rapid and evolving measures to slow the virus's spread, protect employees, and adapt to new ways of doing business.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today has released updated resources for employers, employees, and states to prevent fraud or misuse in the unemployment insurance system, including the new unemployment insurance programs under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia released the following statement on the passing of Office of Labor-Management Standards Director Arthur Rosenfeld.

“Today, I share the sad news that Arthur Rosenfeld, Director of the Office of Labor-Management Standards, passed away Saturday night. The U.S. Department of Labor and the labor and employment bar have lost an accomplished lawyer and public servant, admired colleague and treasured friend.