WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule clarifying the standard for employee versus independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has issued updated guidance that provides implementation information to states regarding two unemployment insurance programs: Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) and Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). 

LOS ANGELES, CA – The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has sentenced John S. Romero – a former president of the United Industrial and Service Workers of America in Colton, California – to 12 years in prison for embezzling funds from the union’s health plan, conspiracy and making false statements on annual government filings.

WILDER, KY – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Merkle Lawn Care Inc. – based in Wilder, Kentucky – has paid $20,502 in back wages to 42 employees for violating labor provisions of the H-2B visa program. The Department also assessed Merkle Lawn Care Inc. a civil penalty of $10,335.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced its intent to award up to $4 million in grant funding to the International Labor Organization (ILO) to improve worker rights in rural sectors of the Indo-Pacific with a focus on women’s rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant for up to $25,092,803 to the California Department of Employment Development to create jobs to address debris cleanup and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the September 2020 wildfires. 

COLUMBIA, SC – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Colony Tire Corp. has paid $152,109 in back wages to 248 employees for overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at 25 establishments throughout the Carolinas and Virginia.

ORLANDO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Sunscape LLC – a landscaping materials supplier based in Orlando, Florida – has paid a civil money penalty of $15,804 for violating child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

PITTSBURGH, PA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Jefferson Hills Area Ambulance Association – a private ambulance service operating as Southeast Regional EMS in Clairton and Elizabeth, Pennsylvania – has paid $35,492 in back wages to 12 first responder employees for violating overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced additional guidance to provide information to workers and employers about protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The FFCRA’s paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements will expire on Dec. 31, 2020. 

TIPTON, IN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the City of Tipton, Indiana, paid $91,924 in back wages to 15 firefighters for violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The WHD investigation found the City of Tipton failed to pay overtime to firefighters who worked more than 106 hours in their two-week pay period. 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced two opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letters issued today are:

WASHINGTON, DC – Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic through Dec. 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations arising from 295 inspections for violations relating to coronavirus, resulting in proposed penalties totaling $3,849,222.

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

In the week ending December 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 787,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 3,000 from 803,000 to 806,000. The 4-week moving average was 836,750, an increase of 17,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 750 from 818,250 to 819,000.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has issued guidance that provides overarching implementation information about unemployment insurance (UI) provisions contained in the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, which is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S.

COLUMBUS, OH – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Chelsea Health Care LLC –has paid $81,399 in back wages to 45 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements at its Columbus, Ohio, nursing home facility.

LOS ANGELES, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Commerce, California, has paid $27,150 in civil money penalties for violating child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

DENVER, CO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Consulate General of Mexico in Denver, Colorado, have renewed a two-year alliance to provide Mexican nationals with safety training and resources to educate them on their rights and employers’ responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

WASHINTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today announced new guidance in its ongoing efforts to support the American workforce through the pandemic recovery. As employers continue to meet the challenges presented to their businesses by the coronavirus, and as telework arrangements and virtual communication increasingly provide solutions, the agency provides additional guidance to maximize the benefits of these arrangements for employers and workers alike.