HONOLULU, HI – Neptune Construction Group Inc., a Florida-based construction company, has agreed to pay 38 employees working at various Hawaii locations $173,320 after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime pay violations.

Operating with offices in Kailua Kona and in Palm Harbor, Florida, Neptune Construction serves the entire U.S. and specializes in remodeling and renovation of hotel properties.

FOLEY, AL – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama has ordered Riviera Stoneworks Inc., Hood’s Discount Home Center of Foley Inc., and Michael J. Hood, the operator of both companies, to pay $28,307 in back wages and liquidated damages to 28 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

COLUMBUS, OH – U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced a new National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Demonstration Grant pilot program to help communities fight the opioid crisis. The U.S. Department of Labor will initially fund seven to ten pilot programs with awards totaling $21 million. Secretary Acosta made the announcement during a visit to the Maryhaven Stabilization Center in Columbus, Ohio.

MEMPHIS, TN – After an investigation by U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee has ordered Capital Construction Inc. and its owner, Justin B. Herter, to pay $188,244 in back wages and liquidated damages to 37 employees for violating the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – After a routine compliance evaluation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Humana Inc. has agreed to pay $2.5 million in back wages and interest as part of a conciliation agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against 753 women at the health insurance company’s headquarters in Louisville.

MASON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Kraft Heinz Foods Company for machine safety violations after an employee suffered a partial finger amputation while clearing a machine jam at the company’s Mason facility. The company faces $109,939 in proposed penalties.

HEBRON, OH – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that auto parts manufacturer Sunfield Inc. has agreed to a settlement that includes a $1 million penalty, and hiring a safety and health coordinator to resolve safety and health violations found at the company’s Hebron plant.

WAKEFIELD, NE ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Michael Foods Inc., an egg processing facility based in Wakefield, Nebraska, for multiple safety violations after an employee suffered fatal injuries when he was struck by a dock leveler. A dock leveler is a device used to allow a forklift to travel between a loading dock and a trailer.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Middleburg-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. for failing to protect employees from the dangerous hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat.

SYRACUSE, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Summit Milk Products LLC, based in Waterloo, for ongoing failure to protect employees against burns at its facility. The cheese and dairy products manufacturer faces a total of $143,954 in proposed penalties for uncorrected and new hazards.

NORFOLK, VA - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has certified BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair facility as a Star worksite, the highest level of recognition in the Agency’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) for workplace safety and health excellence.

BOSTON, MA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has ordered JetBlue Corporation to reinstate and compensate a flight attendant who was fired for raising safety concerns about a flight. The order requires JetBlue Corporation to clear the affected personnel file and pay $143,783.66 in back pay, compensatory damages, and attorneys’ fees, and post a notice informing all employees of their whistleblower protections.

In the week ending March 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 226,000, a decrease of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 1,000 from 231,000 to 230,000. The 4-week moving average was 221,500, a decrease of 750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 250 from 222,500 to 222,250.

Read the full release.

ENGLEWOOD, CO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Langston Concrete Inc. for failing to protect its workers from trench collapse hazards. The Colorado Springs company faces proposed penalties of $90,535.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor will host outreach events in Bridgeton, Missouri, on March 20 and 21, 2018, for former and current nuclear weapons workers and their survivors. Federal representatives will present about the mission of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) and the medical benefits available to approved claimants under the program.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the McCarthy Building Companies are partnering to help protect employees working on the Christus Spohn Hospital construction project in Corpus Christi.

ASHLAND, OH ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Liqui-Box Corp., an Ashland plastic bag manufacturer, for serious and repeated violations of machine safety procedures. The company faces proposed penalties totaling $155,208.

HUNTSVILLE, AL – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, a Huntsville, Alabama, security company and two subcontractors will pay $1,184,722 in back wages to 236 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the companies violated provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Service Contract Act (SCA), and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act (CWHSSA).

GUAYNABO, PR – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will be on St. Croix and St. Thomas through March 21 to investigate wage issues and provide compliance assistance related to work done in connection with recovery efforts following Hurricanes Maria and Irma.

ATLANTA, GA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, two Marietta-based hotels have paid $73,732 in back wages and liquidated damages to 14 employees for violating minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).