October 21, 2021

US Department of Labor seeking nominations for newly reestablished Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking nominations for membership for the newly reestablished Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health, which advises the Secretary of Labor on all matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees.

October 21, 2021

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending October 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 290,000, a decrease of 6,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 293,000 to 296,000. The 4-week moving average was 319,750, a decrease of 15,250 from the previous week's revised average. This is the lowest level for this average since March 14, 2020 when it was 225,500. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 334,250 to 335,000.

October 20, 2021

US Department of Labor proposes $38K in fines for Illinois healthcare facility where workers were not fully protected from coronavirus hazards

BYRON, IL – An inspection at a Byron rehabilitation and post-acute care facility found the healthcare facility did not comply with federal respiratory protection requirements in the facility’s quarantine area and failed to protect workers from coronavirus hazards.

October 20, 2021

Federal investigation of employee injury finds Temple, Texas furniture manufacturer repeatedly exposed workers to amputation hazards

TEMPLE, TX – While the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has given a Temple furniture design and manufacturing company several opportunities to stop exposing its workers to amputation hazards, an investigation into a recent serious injury found little has changed.

October 20, 2021

OSHA launches initiative to protect Midwest workers from occupational exposure to hazardous substances, other health hazards

KANSAS CITY, MO ‒ Occupational exposure to hazardous substances, such as asbestos, formaldehyde and cadmium, can lead to cancer and other long-term serious health diagnos

October 20, 2021

US Department of Labor and Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity sign agreement to share information, conduct joint operations

DETROIT The U.S. Department of Labor’s offices in Detroit and Grand Rapids and the State of Michigan, Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Wage and Hour Division have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to provide opportunities for the agencies to conduct joint investigations and joint outreach as well as share training materials and other information as appropriate.

October 20, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $27K for 74 delivery drivers denied mileage reimbursement by Jimmy John’s franchisee in Clemson, Anderson

COLUMBIA, SC – Employers who expect their workers to use personal vehicles on behalf of the business must provide mileage reimbursement or they may be in violation of federal law, the operator of two sandwich shops in Clemson and Anderson has learned.

October 19, 2021

Investigation in Puerto Rico recovers $106K in overtime wages for 136 security guards misclassified as independent contractors

GUAYNABO, PR – A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation has found a Puerto Rico-based security services company misclassified 136 of its employees as independent contractors, denying them overtime pay required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

October 19, 2021

Departments of Labor, Justice reach settlements with Facebook resolving claims of discrimination against US workers, alleged regulation violations

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Justice today announced separate settlement agreements with Facebook regarding its use of the permanent labor certification program, also known as PERM.

October 19, 2021

Syracuse iron foundry agrees to correct serious hazards, implement enhanced safeguards following US Department of Labor inspection, litigation

NEW YORK – A Syracuse iron foundry cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for dozens of health and safety violations has agreed to correct 60 cited hazards, implement enhanced corrective measures and pay $276,189 in penalties in a settlement agreement with the department.

October 18, 2021

Investigation recovers $97K in back wages for 137 restaurant workers whose employer improperly failed to pay for missed or partial ‘meal breaks’

HONOLULU – Some restaurant industry employers disregard federal wage and hours requirements recklessly making it harder for vulnerable, low-wage workers to earn a living and for law-abiding employers to compete.

October 18, 2021

Federal investigators recover $106K for 50 employees of vending machine operator after US Department of Labor finds overtime violations

WEST COVINA, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $106,245 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for 50 employees after finding that their Southern California employer made illegal deductions from workers’ wages and calculated workers’ overtime wages improperly.

October 15, 2021

Contractor faces 2 serious citations after US Department of Labor finds safety failures led to welder’s death at Bonner Bridge demolition project

RODANTHE, NC – A federal workplace safety investigation found that established procedures were ignored, causing a 42-year-old welder on the Bonner Bridge in Rodanthe to fall more than 50 feet to his death when the structure collapsed on April 14.

October 15, 2021

US Department of Labor announces resumption of Job Corps’ new student enrollment for in-person instruction, training

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the reopening of new student enrollment for in-person instruction and job training today at Job Corps centers across the nation.

The announcement came during an event at the Potomac Job Corps Center in Washington, where Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh met students and discussed how centers across the county have adapted as the nation combats the pandemic.

October 15, 2021

Investigation into worker’s severe arm injury finds Cusseta auto parts manufacturer, supplier willfully ignored safety precautions

CUSSETA, AL – A 64-year-old employee suffered an arm amputation, federal workplace safety investigators found, as a result of a Cusseta auto parts manufacturer and supplier’s willful failure to follow required safety standards.

October 14, 2021

Recuperan $860K en salarios atrasados, compensación por daños de contratista de paneles de yeso de San Diego que no pagó las horas extras

 SAN DIEGO - En medio de un aumento desorbitado de precios en su mercado inmobiliario residencial – con casas que se venden en promedio a $800,000 – una investigación federal en San Diego ha descubierto que un contratista de la construcción intencionalmente no pagó salarios debidos por horas extras a 568 instaladores, colgadores y terminadores de paneles de yeso.  

October 14, 2021

Federal investigation recovers $860K in back wages, damages from San Diego drywall contractor that deliberately failed to pay overtime

SAN DIEGO – Amid soaring prices in its residential real estate market – with homes selling for an average of $800,000 – a federal investigation has found a San Diego construction contractor failing to share its prosperity and intentionally failing to pay overtime wages as required to 568 drywall installers, tapers and hangers.

October 14, 2021

US Department of Labor investigation of crane collapse, double fatality on Interstate 10 finds Lufkin company failed to assemble crane properly

BEAUMONT, TX – A Lufkin contractor’s failure to assemble a crane boom properly caused the crane to collapse onto a passing vehicle on Interstate 10 near Beaumont, killing the two occupants in April 2021. 

October 14, 2021

For the 6th time in 7 years, federal inspectors find Illinois contractor putting construction workers at risk of industry’s deadliest hazard

ROSELLE, IL – For the sixth time in seven years, a federal workplace inspection has found a Roselle construction contractor putting workers at risk of serious injury or death by defying federal requirements to ensure the use of fall protection.