WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the first round of awards to Iowa, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Utah, Colorado, and Missouri as part of the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program.

“President Trump has used every authority in his power to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Following his Presidential Memorandum, the Department of Labor quickly released important guidance to guide States as they implement the Lost Wages Assistance program, and the Department is working closely with our partners at FEMA to ensure States have the resources they need to continue supporting Americans temporarily out of work. I’m encouraged that these States moved quickly to implement benefits, and we are working with more States to help them provide continued benefits to Americans in need. We also appreciate that some States have determined that their strong re-opening and recovery removes the need for continued supplemental benefits.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

• Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia on the July Jobs Report – “Today’s strong jobs report completes a full week of encouraging economic news, including growth in manufacturing and services and declines in filings for unemployment benefits. The July job gains, which are the third largest in history, occurred in a period when some of our largest states were tightening restrictions in response to rising coronavirus cases. Even with these gains, far too many Americans remain out of work, and the Administration is determined to provide enhanced, targeted support for the unemployed while pursuing the pro-growth policies that led to the exceptional economy Americans experienced prior to the virus.”

• Statement by U.S. Secretary of Labor Scalia on Presidential Memorandum Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 – “[The] Presidential Memorandum reflects President Trump’s determination to identify and deploy all the authorities available to him to support Americans out of work as a result of the pandemic. The Memorandum follows the refusal of Democratic leadership to allow even a short-term extension of federal unemployment benefits while the parties negotiated a longer-term plan. The Department of Labor will now work closely with the States and the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to assist in providing the relief made available by the Memorandum.”

Defending Workers’ Rights to Paid Leave and Wages Earned:

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinar in Korean for Employers, Employees About Paid Sick Leave, Families First Coronavirus Response Act – The Wage and Hour Division offered a Korean-language webinar on Aug. 5, 2020, to help employers and employees in Southern California’s Korean communities understand the benefits and protections provided by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinar on Paid Sick Leave, Workplace Safety and Other Employer, Employee Concerns Amid Coronavirus Pandemic – The Wage and Hour Division hosted a webinar on Aug. 6, 2020, to help employers and employees understand the benefits and protections provided by the FFCRA. Representatives from the Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the IRS, Small Business Administration, and the Louisiana Workforce Commission were also present during the webinar.

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinar for Employers, Employees On Pandemic’s Impacts on Immigrant Employment Regulations – The Wage and Hour Division will host a webinar on Aug. 13, 2020, to help employers and employees understand provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and other requirements during the current coronavirus pandemic.  The webinar will focus on the INA and the H-2A and H-2B visa program certifications.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding the signed Presidential Memorandum Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019:

“Today’s Presidential Memorandum reflects President Trump’s determination to identify and deploy all the authorities available to him to support Americans out of work as a result of the pandemic. The Memorandum follows the refusal of Democratic leadership to allow even a short-term extension of federal unemployment benefits while the parties negotiated a longer-term plan. The Department of Labor will now work closely with the States and the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to assist in providing the relief made available by the Memorandum.”

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement on the July 2020 Employment Situation Report:

“Today’s strong jobs report completes a full week of encouraging economic news, including growth in manufacturing and services and declines in filings for unemployment benefits. The July job gains, which are the third largest in history, occurred in a period when some of our largest states were tightening restrictions in response to rising coronavirus cases. Even with these gains, far too many Americans remain out of work, and the Administration is determined to provide enhanced, targeted support for the unemployed while pursuing the pro-growth policies that led to the exceptional economy Americans experienced prior to the virus.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

• U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia Highlights Economic Reopening In Willow Grove, Pennsylvania – “It was good to be back in Pennsylvania [Friday] to hear from workers who have kept our essential industries open during the pandemic,” said Secretary Scalia. “I also had a good discussion with business leaders about steps to protect the health and safety of workers in their facilities. Workplace safety, along with efforts to knock down burdensome regulatory barriers and implement strong trade agreements like the USMCA, will be key to the economic recovery in eastern Pennsylvania.”

• Secretary Scalia talks about Coronavirus Relief Proposal – Secretary Scalia joined “Squawk on the Street” on Tuesday to discuss the Administration’s strong support of Americans currently out of work and incentives to return to work and keep our economic recovery going.

Defending Workers’ Rights to Paid Leave and Wages Earned:

• School District Pays Back Wages to Employee Wrongly Denied Paid Sick Leave After Healthcare Provider Ordered Self-Quarantine – The Wage and Hour Division found the school district violated the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The FFCRA allows employees to take leave when a healthcare provider advises the employee to self-quarantine or while experiencing coronavirus symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis. The school district cooperated fully when contacted by WHD, and once it understood its responsibility under the new law, agreed to pay the employee’s full wages for the days the employee was unable to work. The employer agreed to future compliance with the FFCRA, which took effect on April 1, 2020.

• San Jose, California, Manufacturer to Pay $41,214 in Back Wages After Wrongly Denying Requests for Coronavirus-Related Paid Sick Leave – After an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division, a cable and wire harness manufacturer in San Jose, California, will pay $41,214 in back wages to 17 employees for wrongly denying the employees’ requests for paid sick leave for coronavirus-related reasons.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia traveled to Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, where he visited The GIANT Company’s GIANT Direct eCommerce facility and store to meet with employees. The Secretary also joined a roundtable with local business and community leaders to discuss the safe reopening of the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary Scalia highlighted how fair and reciprocal trade through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will bolster the economic recovery.

“It was good to be back in Pennsylvania today to hear from workers who have kept our essential industries open during the pandemic,” said Secretary Scalia. “I also had a good discussion with business leaders about steps to protect the health and safety of workers in their facilities. Workplace safety, along with efforts to knock down burdensome regulatory barriers and implement strong trade agreements like the USMCA, will be key to the economic recovery in eastern Pennsylvania.”

Secretary Scalia underscored President Trump’s swift and comprehensive response to the coronavirus pandemic. He discussed the Department’s efforts to help states support workers’ return to the workplace, as well as the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s continued work to provide guidance to employers as they meet their duty to protect employees from coronavirus.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

• U.S. Department of Labor Kicks off National Childcare Reopening Tour in Denver, Colorado – Director Laurie Todd-Smith of the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau traveled to Denver, Colorado, with Senator Cory Gardner and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump underscoring the importance of childcare as the nation’s economy safely reopens.

Keeping America’s Workplaces Safe and Healthy:

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Ohio Nursing Facilities for Failing to Fully Implement Respiratory Programs to Protect Employees from Coronavirus – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a healthcare company for violating respiratory protection standards following an inspection initiated after the company reported the coronavirus-related hospitalization of seven employees. 

Defending Workers’ Rights to Paid Leave and Wages Earned:

• U.S. Department Of Labor Publishes Additional Guidance on Wage And Hour Rules, Family and Medical Leave As Workplaces Reopen – The U.S. Department of Labor published additional guidance for workers and employers on how the protections and requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) affect the workplace as workplaces reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. The guidance from the Department’s Wage and Hour Division includes commonly asked questions and answers that address critical issues in all three laws.

• West Palm Beach Organization Pays Back Wages to Employee Wrongly Denied Paid Sick Leave After Doctor Directed Quarantine – The Wage and Hour Division determined the employer violated paid sick leave requirements of the FFCRA. The Department found that the organization wrongfully denied an employee’s request for emergency paid sick leave after the worker’s doctor directed the employee to remain at home due to coronavirus-related concerns. After the Department contacted the employer, they agreed to pay the employee for the sick leave and committed to future FFCRA compliance.

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinars in Tagalog for Employers And Employees about Families First Coronavirus Response Act – The Wage and Hour Division hosted a webinar on July 21, 2020, to help employers and employees in Southern California’s Filipino communities understand the benefits and protections provided by the FFCRA. The webinar was offered in Tagalog.

• South Florida Truss Manufacturer Pays Back Wages to Employee Denied Paid Sick Leave Under Families First Coronavirus Response Act – After an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division, a manufacturer based in Medley, Florida has paid an employee $4,352 in back wages for wrongly denying paid sick leave to an employee who requested time off to care for their child. The child’s school closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Wireless Service Provider Pays Back Wages to Employee Denied Paid Sick Leave After Doctor Ordered Coronavirus-Related Self-Quarantine – After an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division, a firm in Houston, Texas will pay $900 in back wages after failing to provide an employee with coronavirus symptoms paid sick leave after the employee’s doctor ordered them to self-quarantine for two weeks, in violation of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act, part of the FFCRA.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor recently concluded successful negotiations with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 12 for a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). AFGE Local 12 covers approximately 2,700 Department of Labor employees in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The prior CBA was effective from Aug. 29, 2013.

The new CBA, which takes effect on July 20, 2020, codifies the Department’s workplace flexibilities that have served as a positive recruitment and retention tool and that have been instrumental in the Department’s ability to respond quickly and effectively in meeting its mission during the COVID-19 health emergency. The new CBA includes:

• A 25 percent reduction in the minimum work space required per employee, positioning the Department to reduce its rent in Washington, D.C. and achieve cost savings;
• A reduction in the minimum performance improvement plan period from 90 days in the prior CBA to 60 days in the current CBA;
• A shorter, more efficient grievance and arbitration process;
• The elimination of full-time, 100 percent union officials who were not required to perform any of their normal department work (there were three full-time union officials permitted in the prior CBA); and
• The elimination of the technical requirement to notify an employee of the intent to charge him or her absence without leave (AWOL) before the employee submitted his or her time sheet for a pay period.

In addition, the new CBA demonstrates both parties’ commitment to ensuring that the Department properly balances the effective and efficient achievement of its mission with the appropriate representation of bargaining unit employees. The new CBA comes after an 18-month process that included negotiations, mediation and impasse proceedings between the Department and AFGE Local 12.

“The increased efficiency and accountability resulting from this collective bargaining agreement puts the Department in an even better position to serve American workers and retirees,” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “I commend the Department of Labor’s management team for their leadership during the negotiation, and thank Local 12 for their collaboration and diligent performance of their important mission during this process.”

The new CBA achieves the goals of Executive Orders 13836, 13837 and 13839, issued by President Trump on May 25, 2018, to efficiently and cost-effectively negotiate and manage labor management relations between the Department of Labor and AFGE Local 12; to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the granting of and use of approved official time; and to promote employee accountability and streamline removal procedures consistent with Merit System Principles.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America’s Economy:

• U.S. Secretary of Labor Scalia Highlights Reentry Grants and American Manufacturing in Tennessee – “As we work to safely re-open our economy, our focus must be on providing opportunities for all Americans to participate in the workforce,” said Secretary Scalia. “Organizations like Knoxville Leadership Foundation and their partners do so by helping those who have served their time in the criminal justice system transition back into their communities and the workforce. Businesses like McNeilus Steel advance opportunity by creating jobs and training workers to fill them. Together, public resources and private sector ingenuity will be catalysts for an American economy even stronger than before.”

• U.S. Secretary of Labor Scalia Addresses Economic Re-opening and Workplace Safety During Visit to North Carolina – “The resilience of the American worker is on display here in North Carolina,” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “President Trump positioned us for a strong economic bounce back in North Carolina and across the country thanks in part to his negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is expected to create as many as 500,000 or more jobs. I thank Ranking Member Foxx for joining me today and for her invaluable leadership on the House Education and Labor Committee.”

• U.S. Department of Labor Awards $3 Million Dislocated Worker Grant In Response to the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of one Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) totaling $3,000,000 to help address the workforce-related impacts of the public health emergency related to the coronavirus. This latest award to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation follows seven previous waves of funding, bringing the total amount awarded to states and territories to $248,249,950.

Keeping America’s Workplaces Safe and Healthy:

• U.S. Department of Labor Statement on D.C. Circuit Court Ruling – Solicitor of Labor Kate O’Scannlain and Assistant Secretary for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) David G. Zatezalo issued the following statement regarding the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. “We are pleased with the decision from the D.C. Circuit, which agreed that MSHA reasonably determined that an emergency temporary standard was not necessary in light of the agency’s existing mandatory safety and health standards and regulatory tools. MSHA will continue to evaluate the developing situation with COVID-19, enforce the law, and offer guidance to mine operators and miners to keep America’s mines safe.”

Defending Workers’ Rights to Paid Leave and Wages Earned:

• U.S. Department of Labor Launches Public Service Campaign to Promote Workers’ Rights to Paid Sick Leave, Safe Workplaces and Lawful Pay – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the launch of a public awareness campaign to remind workers that the Department’s Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring their workplace rights during the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure that employers know their responsibilities.

• U.S. Department of Labor’s PAID Program Helps Workers and Employers as America Reopens – The Wage and Hour Division’s Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) Program continues to provide an avenue to get workers the wages they are owed, bring employers into compliance and accomplish both goals with an efficiency that saves taxpayers money, with more than $7 million in back wages found for more than 11,000 workers. “PAID is a common sense program that helps employers comply with the law while ensuring workers get the money they’ve earned,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Patrick Pizzella. “As more Americans come back to work, the PAID program provides an effective tool for the U.S. Department of Labor to ensure workers around the country are being made whole.”

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinars for Business Owners, Employers and Other Stakeholders on Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave – The Wage and Hour Division, the IRS and the U.S. Small Business Administration are presenting a series of webinars on paid sick leave, and expanded family and medical leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) for employers and business owners. The Wage and Hour Division also hosted a similar webinar for Michigan employers this week.

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinars for Employers, Employees in Mandarin, Cantonese on Paid Leave in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act – The Wage and Hour Division announced that it will offer webinars on July 23, 2020, to help employers and employees in Southern California’s Chinese communities understand the benefits and protections provided by the paid sick leave provisions of the FFCRA. Webinars will be offered in both Mandarin and Cantonese. The webinars will focus on FFCRA paid leave requirements, including workers’ eligibility for paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave, and will explain tax credits available to covered employers.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia traveled to North Carolina with Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-05), the Republican Leader of the House Education and Labor Committee, to highlight the nation’s continued economic recovery from the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary Scalia first visited U.S. Cotton in Belmont, where he met with workers and company leadership to discuss workplace safety, economic re-opening and the recent entry into force of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Secretary Scalia and Rep. Foxx then traveled to Winston-Salem to participate in a roundtable hosted at Inmar Intelligence with local business leaders. Finally, the Secretary and Rep. Foxx visited Kernersville, where they met with frontline grocery store workers at Lowes Foods.

“The resilience of the American worker is on display here in North Carolina,” said Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “President Trump positioned us for a strong economic bounce back in North Carolina and across the country thanks in part to his negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is expected to create as many as 500,000 or more jobs. I thank Ranking Member Foxx for joining me today and for her invaluable leadership on the House Education and Labor Committee.”

Rep. Foxx remarked, “COVID-19 has impacted North Carolina on many fronts, but the resiliency of our frontline workers and businesses continues to propel our state in the right direction. Today’s events came together in record time, and it’s a clear reflection of Secretary Scalia’s commitment to witnessing North Carolina’s economy and progress on a firsthand basis. I look forward to working alongside him, and the business leaders of the Fifth District, as we continue to get North Carolinians back to work and strengthen our state’s robust economy.”

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.