Tag: Department of Labor

WHD Launches Heat Awareness Campaign

On July 21, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced the launch of a heat awareness campaign called “Operation Beat the Heat.” Operation Beat the Heat is a coordinated education, outreach, and enforcement effort to protect migrant and seasonal agricultural workers. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) national emphasis program […]

Jury Awards $650K in Damages in Whistleblower Suit

A federal jury found that a Massachusetts employer and his company retaliated against an employee who reported an on-the-job injury, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced on June 22. The jury awarded $650,000 in damages—$600,000 in punitive damages and $50,000 in compensatory damages—in the case. The DOL filed a lawsuit in February 2019 against Tara […]

Labor Department Reminds Retailers to Ensure Worker Safety

The Department of Labor (DOL) November 22 reminded retailers to both properly pay workers and ensure their health and safety during the holiday shopping season. Federal wage regulations are administered by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates worker health and safety. OSHA urged retail employers to […]

Labor Department Requests Vaccine Rule Reinstatement

Attorneys for the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) November 23 asked a federal appeals court to lift judicial restrictions on an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) requiring employers with 100 or more employees to implement a program of COVID-19 vaccination or regular testing and face coverings to protect unvaccinated workers. […]

Contractor Gets Jail Time in Trench Fatality

A Colorado contractor has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for a fatal 2018 trench collapse at a Granby, Colorado, work site. The case comes under a partnership between the Department of Labor (DOL) Solicitor’s Office and state and local prosecutors to prosecute employers under state criminal statutes, along with an increased number of […]

OSHA Binder

Labor OIG Audits OSHA’s COVID-19 Whistleblower Enforcement

The Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an audit report of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) handling of whistleblower complaints during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The OIG recommended that OSHA fill staff vacancies in the Whistleblower Protection Program (WPP), continue a pilot triage program in its Region […]

forklift

OSHA Proposals for Forklifts, Walking-Working Surfaces in New Labor Agenda

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plans to issue a pair of proposals in the new year to update its forklift and walking-working surfaces rules, according to the Department of Labor’s new regulatory agenda. The department issued its first agenda since Eugene Scalia became Secretary of Labor.