UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Press Releases

NEW ORLEANS -- More than 200 employers and advocacy groups participated in the U.S. Department of Labor’s informational and outreach forum to learn more about wages, health benefits, job safety, affirmative action and veterans’ re-employment rights. The free event took place at the University of New Orleans Lindy Boggs International Conference Center.

“The forum represents the Labor Department’s commitment toward providing information consistent with our compliance assistance program,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the department’s Wage and Hour Division. “We are hopeful that this outreach effort will increase awareness about employer responsibilities and provide workers with knowledge of their rights, as well.”

The following Labor Department agencies offered free workshops that included the content described:

• Employee Benefits Security Administration: assistance for plan administrators with their fiduciary responsibilities under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 in administering health benefit plans, including rules under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Wage and Hour Division: assistance on the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, and the Service Contract Act.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): A step-by-step process for developing and implementing an effective safety and health program; a description of OSHA compliance assistance resources; and an overview of the agency’s Site Specific Targeting enforcement program.
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs: Fundamental “best practices” that help contractors learn how to avoid major technical and discrimination violations, including examples and scenarios from real cases and instructions for investigating essential aspects of an equal opportunity program.
• Veterans’ Employment and Training Service: Employer responsibilities under the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act that guarantees veterans re-employment for reservists, guardsmen and returning active duty personnel.
• Women’s Bureau: Under its Strengthening the Family initiatives – Better Jobs! Better Earnings! Better Living! – information on services provided to companies that will help their employees be more productive by improving their work-life balance and their ability to effectively manage their finances.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.