WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment and Training Administration John Pallasch issued the following statement regarding Weekly Unemployment Claims:

“As Americans continue to return to work, today’s report showed a huge decrease of one million individuals coming off of unemployment insurance rolls. The four week average initial weekly claim numbers, which takes out much of the volatility of weekly claims, hit the lowest point since the start of the pandemic. 

In the week ending October 17, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 787,000, a decrease of 55,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 56,000 from 898,000 to 842,000. The 4-week moving average was 811,250, a decrease of 21,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 33,500 from 866,250 to 832,750.

PLENTYWOOD, MT – The operator of a Plentywood, Montana, facility for people with disabilities has paid $1,600 in back wages to an employee after the employer wrongly denied emergency paid sick leave despite the employee being advised by her healthcare provider to quarantine due to concerns related to the coronavirus, a violation of provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) today announced it will publish a Request for Information (RFI), as required by Executive Order 13950, “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping,” on Sept. 22, 2020.

HOUSTON, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with The American Bottling Company to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at the Houston, Texas, facility.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) had the best year for compliance assistance and the second highest year for monetary settlements for fiscal year (FY) 2020.

LEXINGTON, KY – After a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and the IRS, U.S. District Court Judge Karen K. Caldwell sentenced two Kentucky healthcare companies’ executives to prison and ordered them to pay $1,595,725 in restitution.

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor has executed a region wide corporate settlement agreement with Target Corp. to correct exit access and storage hazards and enhance worker safety at about 200 of the retailer’s stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

WEST COVINA, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Genesis Floor Covering Inc. – a flooring contractor in Santa Fe Springs, California – will pay $99,624 to 73 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements. The employer will also pay $50,881 in penalties assessed due to the willful nature of the violations.

FAIRBANKS, ALASKA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Alaska Commercial Company – an employer operating 33 grocery and general merchandise stores throughout Alaska – has been assessed $20,490 in civil penalties for widespread child labor violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WICHITA, KS – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Best Western Plus Wichita Hotel – based in Wichita, Kansas – has paid $5,693 in back wages for wrongly denying paid sick leave to 13 employees required to quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on how N95 respirators effectively protect wearers from coronavirus exposure.

HARTFORD, CT – The University of Connecticut will pay $249,539 to resolve alleged pay discrimination at its Storrs, Connecticut, campus following a routine compliance review by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

LEAVENWORTH COUNTY, KS – Leavenworth County, Kansas has agreed to pay an employee $4,998 in back wages after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) determined the employer wrongly denied the employee’s request for paid leave to care for their child whose school closed amid the coronavirus pandemic. WHD found the employer also wrongly terminated the employee for allegedly misrepresenting their spouse’s ability to care for the child during the school closure.

SUGAR HILL, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed a strategic partnership with Choate Construction Co. and the Associated General Contractors of Georgia to promote worker safety and health at the Dogwood Forest at Sugar Hill project site in Sugar Hill, Georgia. The Georgia Institute of Technology-Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program will also support this effort.

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 – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through Oct. 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited 85 establishments for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $1,222,156.

OSHA inspections have resulted in the agency citing employers for violations, including failures to:

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has ordered the trustees of four benefit plans for United Derrickmen & Riggers Association, Local Union 197, in Long Island City, New York, to restore $475,000 to the plans, pay a $95,000 penalty to the U.S. Department of Labor and take other corrective actions to resolve violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

LOUISVILLE, KY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), 4Bright Management LLC – operator of three Louisville, Kentucky-based McDonald’s franchise locations – will pay a civil money penalty of $16,994 for violating child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LOUISVILLE, KY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky entered a consent order and judgment against the Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA), Participating Employer Committee (PEC), Association Healthcare Consortium Inc., and the current and former trustees of the Kentucky Bankers Association Health and Welfare Benefit Program and the KBA Benefits Trust holding them jointly and severally liable to pay $1,561,818 in losses to the Trust.