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

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor reminds the nation’s employers that the deadline to submit applications for the 2020 HIRE Vets Medallion Award is April 30, 2020.

President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 (HIRE Vets Act) on May 5, 2017, creating the only federal-level award that recognizes the commitment of job creators to hire America’s veterans.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced three directives from the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to increase accountability and efficiency in its enforcement and to maximize the effectiveness of compliance assistance resources to assist contractors in meeting their responsibilities.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim guidance to advise compliance safety and health officers to evaluate an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with safety and health standards during the coronavirus pandemic.

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 manufacturing workers from exposure to coronavirus.

Safety measures employers can implement to protect employees working in manufacturing include:

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

In the week ending April 11, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 5,245,000, a decrease of 1,370,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 6,606,000 to 6,615,000. The 4-week moving average was 5,508,500, an increase of 1,240,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 2,250 from 4,265,500 to 4,267,750.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of the first installment of 26 Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) totaling $131,384,557 to help address the workforce-related impacts of the coronavirus public health emergency. These awards are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided $345 million for DWGs to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $73 million in State Apprenticeship Expansion Grants aimed at expanding apprenticeships throughout the country.

BOSTON, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Boston, Massachusetts-based Analysis Group Inc. – one of the nation’s largest litigation support firms – have entered into a conciliation agreement to resolve allegations of hiring and compensation discrimination at several of the firm’s U.S. facilities.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $91.8 million in grant funding to support the economic stability of farmworkers through the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP).  

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $2,429,090 in additional National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to Workforce West Virginia to continue providing employment and training services to workers affected by coal industry layoffs in the state. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced an interim enforcement response plan for the coronavirus pandemic. The response plan provides instructions and guidance to OSHA Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) for handling coronavirus-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness reports.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s recent actions have aided American workers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that its Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs is accepting nominations for the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

The board advises the U.S. Secretary of Labor on the EEOICPA program’s technical aspects of, including:

NORCO, LOUISIANA – The U.S. Department of Labor and Valero Refinery Company – a global manufacturer of transportation fuels and petrochemical products in Norco, Louisiana – have entered into a conciliation agreement to resolve allegations of hiring discrimination.

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 package delivery workers from exposure to coronavirus.

Safety measures employers can implement to protect employees in the package delivery industry include:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) today announced the publication of Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) 17-20, which provides further guidance to states as they implement the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), including the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim guidance for enforcing OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR Part 1904) as it relates to recording cases of COVID-19.

COLUMBUS, OH ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Alejandro Vazquez Gallegos – a contractor based in Columbus, Ohio – for exposing employees to falls at job sites in Pickerington and Galena, Ohio. The roofing contractor faces penalties of $236,642 for two willful, two repeat and four serious safety violations.