Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Department of Labor (DOL) attorneys obtained a consent judgment in federal court that includes an injunction permanently preventing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from retaliating against employees at up to 59 locations in the state of Washington, the DOL announced July 16. The consent judgment also requires the USPS to pay $183,732 in lost wages, […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how the Department of Labor handles safety litigation. When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cites an employer for safety and health violations, the employer may simply document steps taken […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
With the confirmation of Marty Walsh as the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), employers shouldn’t be surprised to see a more proemployee climate on the federal level.
On December 23, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a final rule on debt collection in an initiative designed to enable the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other DOL agencies improve their collection of civil penalties (85 FR 83816).
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 […]