Date of Action: April 5, 2013

Type of Action: Consent judgment and order

Name(s) of Defendant: Rick Lane Tasker, Martel Jed Cooper, Michael Gregory Smith, individually and as fiduciaries and service providers; and Zenith Capital LLC, an investment advisory firm located in Santa Rosa, Calif.

WASHINGTON — —The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division announced today that T.G.I .Fridays, a subsidiary of Minnesota-based Carlson, has agreed to change its leave policy to be in compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act. The move affects employees at its 272 company-owned locations. The company has also agreed to correct violations of the FMLA found during an investigation of one of its restaurants in Shreveport, La., and pay an employee $1,455 in back wages.

Agreement resolves OSHA citations at Rochester, N.Y., store following 2011 inspections

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration announced today it will publish two notices on Aug. 8 in the Federal Register on refuge alternatives in underground coal mines. In the first, MSHA is requesting data, comments and information on issues and options relevant to miners' escape and refuge during underground coal mine emergencies. MSHA also announced a limited reopening of the record of the refuge alternative final rule published on Dec. 31, 2008. The 60-day comment period for both closes on Oct. 7.

Date of Action: Aug. 5, 2013

Name of Defendant: Custom Patio Rooms Inc.

Date of Action: Aug. 2, 2013

Name(s) of Defendant(s): GEI International Inc.

Date of Action: Aug. 1, 2013

Type of Action: Complaint

WASHINGTON — The Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service today announced the award of 22 grants, totaling more than $5 million, to provide about 1,900 homeless female veterans and veterans with families with job training to help them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are being awarded under the department's Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families Program.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The number of U.S. miners killed in underground coal roof falls has been dramatically reduced since 2007, and fatalities resulting from retreat mining have been virtually eliminated, according to figures from the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration.

WASHINGTON —The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a $346,531 National Emergency Grant increment to continue employment-related services to about 180 workers affected by the closure of Solo Cup in North Andover, Mass.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Tom Perez issued the following statement about the July 2013 Employment Situation report released today:

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA In the week ending July 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 326,000, a decrease of 19,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 341,250, a decrease of 4,500 from the previous week's revised average of 345,750.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration today announced upcoming webcasts to increase awareness and understanding of basic responsibilities associated with operating private sector retirement plans.

“Getting It Right – Know Your Fiduciary Responsibilities” webcasts will take place on Wednesday, August 7 and Thursday, August 8 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT. The webcasts are part of the agency’s national fiduciary education campaign and will feature speakers from the department.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment ordering a Plymouth Meeting insurance brokerage firm and its chief executive officer to return $272,722 to plan participants and beneficiaries. The department alleges that Dietrich & Associates Inc., and CEO and sole shareholder Kurt E. Dietrich, obtained the money inappropriately when they provided services to an Employee Retirement Income Security Act-covered retirement plan sponsored by Memorial Hospital-West Volusia Inc. in Deland, Fla.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today issued a hazard alert to urge employers that use 1-bromopropane (1-BP) to take appropriate steps to protect workers from exposure.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Tom Perez today issued the following statement regarding Senate committee markup of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013:

"To create opportunity for the American people and ensure a better bargain for the middle class, we need strong partnerships to build a world-class workforce.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a mid-year summary of mining deaths across the country. During the first half of 2013, 18 miners died in work-related accidents at the nation's mines, one less than in the first half of 2012.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on July 26 granted in part the U.S. Department of Labor's motion for a preliminary injunction against George S. Hofmeister and Bernard Tew, former fiduciaries of four Lexington-based pension plans: the Hillsdale Salaried, Hillsdale Hourly, Revstone Casting Fairfield GMP Local 359, and Fourslides Inc.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced that it has renewed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on sharing information on retirement and investment matters. The memorandum was signed by Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and SEC Chair Mary Jo White.

BOSTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded a grant of $49,329 to the state of Vermont to create and promote a Self-Employment Assistance program for individuals who are eligible to receive Emergency Unemployment Compensation. The Vermont SEA program will connect EUC claimants to self-employment and training services through referrals to the Vermont Small Business Development Center.