WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today commemorated Workers’ Memorial Day with a joint statement from U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Loren Sweatt.

CLEVELAND, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent order and judgment to remove plan fiduciaries – Attila E. Nagy and Cynthia Nagy – from the Assembly Specialty Products Inc. 401(k) Plan after an investigation by the department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) found that the fiduciaries violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

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.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released joint coronavirus-related interim guidance for meatpacking and meat processing workers and employers – including those involved in beef, pork and poultry operations. The guidance includes recommended actions employers can take to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim enforcement guidance on reusing disposable N95 filtering face piece respirators (N95 FFRs) that have been decontaminated. The action marks the Department’s latest step to ensure the availability of respirators, and follows President Donald J.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia participated in a virtual meeting of the G20 Labor and Employment Ministers to discuss the G20 members’ labor and employment response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ST. LOUIS, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is extending the deadline for contractors and other interested parties to submit data to complete a wage survey of building construction projects through June 30, 2020, in Missouri’s metropolitan counties.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an opioid crisis National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $9,000,000, with $3,000,000 released initially, to the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The grant will support disaster-relief jobs and provide employment services to eligible individuals in New Jersey communities affected by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdoses.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced additional funding of $2,942,844 for a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant awarded to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services in response to severe storms that battered the southeastern section of the state in February 2019.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration Preston Rutledge’s tenure at the department:

TUCSON, AZ – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Bear Creek Electrical – an electrical company based in Tucson, Arizona – will pay one employee $1,600 for refusing to provide him sick leave under the newly passed Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act after health care providers ordered him to self-quarantine with potential coronavirus symptoms.

PERRY, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Creative Multicare Inc. – a carpet restoration, plumbing and resurfacing contractor based in Stockbridge, Georgia – for exposing employees to safety and health hazards after a fatal incident at a worksite in Perry, Georgia. The company faces $183,127 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Unemployment Insurance claims:

In the week ending April 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 4,427,000, a decrease of 810,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 8,000 from 5,245,000 to 5,237,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,786,500, an increase of 280,000 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 2,000 from 5,508,500 to 5,506,500.

TAMPA, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Cathcart Construction Company-Florida LLC for exposing employees to excavation hazards at worksites in Orlando and Winter Garden, Florida. The general contractor faces $303,611 in penalties.

BLOOMINGTON, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Dollar Tree Stores Inc. for exit, storage and fire hazards at a Bloomington, Illinois, store. The national discount retailer faces $233,255 in penalties for three repeat violations.

LAVISTA, NE – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Dollar Tree Stores Inc. for exit, storage, compressed gas and walking working surface hazards at a LaVista, Nebraska, store. The national discount retailer faces $539,934 in penalties.

APPLETON, WI ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited MODS International Inc. – a fabrication company that converts shipping containers into commercial and residential structures – for exposing employees to multiple hazards at their facility in Appleton, Wisconsin. The company faces penalties of $216,299 for seven repeat and seven serious safety and health violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an alert listing safety tips employers can follow to help protect construction workers from exposure to the coronavirus.

Measures that can help protect employees working in construction include:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the end of the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).