WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $653 million in grants to modernize unemployment insurance information technology systems and to participate in pilots. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the grants will help states modernize their technology, increase flexibility and performance, protect against fraud proactively and make claims processing more efficient.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S.

Date of Action:          May 25, 2023 

Type of Action:         Employee Retirement Income Security Act consent order and judgment

Company/Owners:    Chicago Metropolitan Obstetricians and Gynecologists Ltd.

Dr. Ernest Hayes

WASHINGTON – To curb widespread gender-based violence and harassment in workplaces across all industries and occupations, the U.S. Department of Labor today announced that its Women’s Bureau has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Labour Organization Office for the United States and Canada to create a world of work free of gender-based violence and harassment.

Nombre de empleador:              Whataburger Restaurant LLC                                        

Sitio de investigación:                7201 Quaker Ave.

                                                      Lubbock, TX 79424        

Employer name:                    Whataburger Restaurant LLC                                        

Investigation site:                 7201 Quaker Ave.

                                                Lubbock, TX 79424                                      

In the week ending May 20, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 229,000, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 17,000 from 242,000 to 225,000. The 4-week moving average was 231,750, unchanged from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised down by 12,500 from 244,250 to 231,750.

COLUMBUS, OH ‒ A Columbus children’s hospital failed to protect employees — including nurses and mental health professionals — from patients whose bites, kicks, punches and other assaults caused serious injuries, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

WASHINGTON – As the nation marks Older Americans Month, the U.S. Department of Labor welcomed U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell, Lois Frankel, Gwen Moore and Jan Schakowsky for a roundtable discussion on older women in today’s workforce and the findings of two reports by the department’s Women’s Bureau on the unique challenges they face.

WASHINGTON – Representatives from the Domestic Policy Council, Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of Veterans Affairs convened today for a roundtable on Mental Health at Work at the White House. The discussion focused on the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to promoting best practices to improve worker mental health in federal workplaces.

SUMMERVILLE, OR – A federal contractor in Oregon misclassified dozens of workers – who battled some of the nation’s worst wildfires an average of 70 hours a week in 2020 and 2021 – as independent contractors and denied them their full wages and benefits as a result, the U.S. Department of Labor has found.

BRADENTON BEACH, FL – A federal investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $60,065 in back wages and liquidated damages for a former employee of a Bradenton Beach restaurant that forced them back to work the same day of their hospital discharge — despite doctor’s orders not to do so for three days — and terminated their employment less than a week later.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a partnership between Job Corps and the City of New York to help recruit students and promote enrollment at local centers and inform their students and graduates about higher education institutions, social service programs and job opportunities with the city.

WASHINGTON – Unsafe conditions typically found by federal workplace safety inspectors at discount stores operated by Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC nationwide were on display again during U.S. Department of Labor inspections at nine locations in Maine, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin in late 2022.

SAN DIEGO – A federal investigation of a San Diego environmental remediation and demolition contractor’s pay practices has recovered $363,444 in back wages and liquidated damages for 125 employees denied their rightful overtime and minimum wages.

Participants:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety

                              and Health Administration- Lubbock Area Office          

                              Damage Prevention Council of Texas

                             City of Lubbock Texas- Engineering Department              

Who: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration         

What: Fiscal Year 2023 Susan Harwood grant funding opportunity outreach

When: May 24, 2023, 2-3 p.m. EDT  

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of more than $12.7 million in funding to make more good jobs available to the U.S. workforce by supporting training initiatives designed to promote safety and health in the nation’s workplaces.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of up to $1 million in grant funding through its Brookwood-Sago grant program, which supports the delivery of education and training to the nation’s mining community to help them identify, avoid and prevent unsafe and unhealthy working conditions.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has asked the Office of Administrative Law Judges to compel a federal contractor in the District of Columbia to provide documents and information needed to complete a scheduled compliance evaluation of the company’s equal employment opportunity practices.