NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Some employees may not understand fully how federal law protects them if their employer fails to pay them as the Fair Labor Standards Act requires, as workers at two North Charleston-area food stores have learned.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh issued the following statement on the June 2021 Employment Situation Report:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $6,458,984 grant to the New York Department of Labor to improve its Short-Time Compensation program and promote its advantages to the state’s business community. Also known as work sharing, STC seeks to prevent layoffs by allowing an entire group of workers to receive a partial unemployment benefit payment while their employer reduces their hours.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $1,187,842 grant to the Connecticut Department of Labor to improve its Short-Time Compensation program and promote its advantages to the state’s business community. Also known as work sharing, STC seeks to prevent layoffs by allowing an entire group of workers to receive a partial unemployment benefit payment while their employer reduces their hours.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $4,187,442 grant to the Illinois Department of Employment Security to implement a Short-Time Compensation program and promote its advantages to the state’s business community. Also known as work sharing, STC seeks to prevent layoffs by allowing an entire group of workers to receive a partial unemployment benefit payment while their employer reduces their hours.

HARRISBURG, PA – When an employer shortchanges home healthcare workers they hurt the workers, their families and the people for whom they care. In the case of a Harrisburg home healthcare company, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has remedied overtime violations involving 242 workers and recovered $1,566,457 in hard-earned wages owed to them.

NEW ORLEANS – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has found that CSX Transportation violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act and demonstrated a pattern of retaliation after firing a worker in December 2019 for reporting safety concerns. OSHA ordered the company to pay $71,976 in back wages, interest, and damages, and $150,000 in punitive damages.

In the week ending June 26, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 364,000, a decrease of 51,000 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 4,000 from 411,000 to 415,000. The 4-week moving average was 392,750, a decrease of 6,000 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 1,000 from 397,750 to 398,750.

SAN DIEGO – Aunque una empresa de construcción del Sur de California pagó a sus empleados las primeras 40 horas trabajadas cada semana de acuerdo con la Ley de Normas Razonables de Trabajo,  una investigación federal encontró que las prácticas del empleador respecto al pago de sobretiempo no cumplían con la ley.

SAN DIEGO – While the way a Southern California construction company paid employees the first 40 hours each week complied with the Fair Labor Standards Act, federal investigators found the employer’s overtime pay practices did not.

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ – Following a coronavirus outbreak in March that led to the deaths of two workers, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that a Mount Holly-based healthcare provider failed to implement a required coronavirus prevention program at two of its locations.

ST. LOUIS, MO – The federal Family and Medical Leave Act entitles workers to take unpaid, job-protected leave to care for their own or a family member’s serious health condition, so when a St. Louis metal finishing company terminated an employee on protected FMLA leave without notice, the U.S. Department of Labor intervened.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative met with their counterparts in the Mexican and Canadian governments June 29 for the first meeting of the Labor Council as established under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

MINNEAPOLIS – Imagine being on your feet 60 hours a week serving customers but getting paid for just 30, or working more than 10 hours a day as a cook or dishwasher for a flat salary and being denied minimum wage and overtime protections because your employer wrongly classified you as an independent contractor and not as an employee.

ADRIAN, MO – Had MFA Enterprises Inc. – operating as West Central Agri Services – addressed potential dust ignition sources, an explosion that seriously injured an employee and caused the destruction of the main elevator at an Adrian grain loading facility might not have happened. OSHA cited the grain-handling facility for one willful and six serious safety violations, and proposed penalties of $215,525.

HOUSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a conciliation agreement with Worley Group, to resolve alleged pay discrimination affecting 42 female, Black and Hispanic employees at its Houston location, formerly operated by Jacobs Engineering. The company’s parent, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. is a federal defense contractor. In April 2019, Worley Group assumed control of Jacobs Engineering’s Houston operations.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the funding availability of approximately $43 million in grants to help reemploy dislocated workers most affected by the economic and employment fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

LANSING, MI – After an account manager continually expressed concerns and objections about a proposed accounting practice they believed to be illegal, Equistar Chemicals L.P. in Lansing placed the account manager on a performance improvement program and, ultimately, fired them.

PLAINS TOWNSHIP, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against a Luzerne County paper products manufacturing company and its owner after they fired a worker for raising safety concerns and asking several times for safety gloves to operate a shredder and baler. Prior to the employee suffering injury while operating the machine, their supervisor denied multiple requests for protective equipment.

ROSEMONT, IL – US Foods will pay $159,550 in back pay and interest to 114 female and Black job applicants as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to resolve alleged hiring discrimination found at its Bensenville distribution facility. The company will also offer jobs to 16 applicants.