HOUSTON – As vaccination levels rise and weather warms in the U.S., more Americans have returned to dining out. Much has changed in the restaurant industry since 2020, but a few things have not. Servers remain among the lowest-paid workers, and provide good service in the hope of earning good tips to make ends meet. They depend upon getting paid all of their hard-earned wages.

HASBROUCK HEIGHTS, NJ – A Bergen County contractor who agreed to make safety improvements after federal safety inspections in 2019 identified nine violations with proposed penalties of $121,687 has instead violated its settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor. Following inspections in 2020 and 2021, the company now faces $600,741 in penalties for 10 more violations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $10 million in grant funding to improve the resolution of labor disputes in Mexico. The project seeks to increase the effectiveness of conciliation mechanisms to resolve labor disputes in support of Mexico’s 2019 landmark labor reform.

EL PASO, TX – An El Paso metal stamping manufacturer with a history of workplace safety violations failed again to protect its workers from the dangers of moving machine parts. As a result, a worker suffered the amputation of two fingers inside a 500-ton hydraulic press.  

HAGATNA, GUAM – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is asking Guam’s building, residential, heavy and highway construction employers to help the agency establish accurate rates and complete wage determination by participating in a prevailing wage survey.

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL – After a long shift patrolling the streets of East St. Louis together, the city’s K-9 unit police officers returned home and groomed, fed and cared for their trusted furry, four-legged partners. While these officers are legally entitled to be paid for this additional work, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found the City of East St.

MONETT, MO – Three employers at a Missouri residential nursing facility exposed workers and residents to asbestos hazards and failed to ensure safe removal of the known carcinogen during a flooring replacement project, a federal workplace safety inspection alleges.

DEDEDO, GUAM – Heavy equipment operators often work long hard days outdoors to meet deadlines and complete projects on schedule. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division exists to ensure that their employers pay them the wages they have legally earned, and takes action when they do not.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $816,675 in incremental funding to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to support job creation and workforce training services in eight areas affected significantly by widespread opioid use, addiction and overdose.

NORTHBROOK, IL – A federal court has approved the settlement of a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration whistleblower investigation that determined a Northbrook waste management company violated federal law when it retaliated against a former truck driver who reported a workplace injury and raised concerns to the company that an unrepaired truck was unsafe to operate.

MEDFORD, OR – Diners at Misoya Bistro in Medford were likely unaware that, for nearly two years, the owner was withholding nearly all of their workers’ tips.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of $3 million in grant funding to support progress on labor standards, including occupational safety and health, hours of work and wages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

AVON, CO – A Colorado state court has sentenced the owner of an Avon construction company to jail and ordered restitution for the family of a 50-year-old company worker who suffered fatal injuries in a preventable trench collapse at a Granby work site in June 2018.

SEATTLE – Con la subida de las temperaturas en Washington, Oregón y Idaho, la Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. recuerda a los empleadores que protejan a sus trabajadores expuestos a temperaturas de calor extremo.

El mensaje de OSHA es básico: Agua. Descanso. Sombra. Para proteger a sus trabajadores, los empleadores deben:

SEATTLE – As temperatures rise in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration reminds employers to protect their employees when they work in hot weather.

OSHA’s message is simple: Water. Rest. Shade. To protect their employees, employers should:

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has taken legal action against two North Texas dentists on behalf of a dental hygienist and a dental assistant who were not reinstated after expressing concerns about what coronavirus safety measures would be in place when the practice reopened in spring 2020.  

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $92.6 million in funding to 47 states to provide training and employment services to eligible workers affected adversely by foreign trade.

LAKELAND, FL – Piece-rate pay practices make workers’ paychecks solely dependent on the amount of work produced, regardless of how many hours are worked. When using these practices, however, employers must still comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and record all hours worked, pay minimum wage and overtime when applicable.

In the week ending July 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 360,000, a decrease of 26,000 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 13,000 from 373,000 to 386,000. The 4-week moving average was 382,500, a decrease of 14,500 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 2,500 from 394,500 to 397,000.

HUNTSVILLE, AL – On Jan. 15 an employee of a Huntsville contracting company entered a trench greater than 5 feet in depth to work on underground utility pipes.