NEW ORLEANS, LA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Heaslip Engineering LLC, Citadel Builders LLC, Suncoast Projects LLC – doing business as Hub Steel – and eight subcontractors for safety and health violations at the construction site of a planned Hard Rock hotel in downtown New Orleans. Three workers suffered fatal injuries and 18 other workers suffered serious injuries in a partial building collapse. 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim enforcement guidance to help combat supply shortages of disposable N95 filtering face piece respirators (N95 FFRs). The action marks the department’s latest step to ensure the availability of respirators and follows President Donald J. Trump’s Memorandum on Making General Use Respirators Available.

EVANSTON, IL –  The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited three employers – Northwestern University, Hill Mechanical Corp. and National Heat & Power Corp. – for exposing workers to permit-required confined space hazards associated with underground steam vaults. Proposed penalties for the three companies total $235,962.

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

“Today’s report shows 701,000 fewer jobs, and the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of Unemployment Insurance Program Letter 14-20 (UIPL) outlining relevant provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act related to the administration of and eligibility criteria for state unemployment insurance (UI) programs, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) for those not typically eligible for UI, such as gig workers, and expanded UI benefits.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Unemployment Insurance claims:

In the week ending March 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 6,648,000, an increase of 3,341,000 from the previous week's revised level. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series. The previous week's level was revised up by 24,000 from 3,283,000 to 3,307,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,612,000, an increase of 1,607,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 6,000 from 998,250 to 1,004,250.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced new action regarding how American workers and employers will benefit from the protections and relief offered by the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act and Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act, both part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) posted a temporary rule issuing regulations pursuant to this new law, effective today, April 1, 2020.

ORLANDO, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Skanska-Granite-Lane – a joint venture operating as SGL Constructors – for exposing employees to safety hazards at the I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project worksite in Orlando, Florida. One worker suffered fatal injuries and another was hospitalized. The contractor faces $53,976 in penalties.

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited BWay Corp. – doing business as Mauser Packaging Solutions – for workplace safety and health hazards after an employee suffered an amputation on Sept. 26, 2019, at the Lawrence Township, New Jersey, facility. The company faces $151,329 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced additional funding of $2,000,000 for a Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant awarded to the California Department of Employment Development in response to the July 2018 Carr Fire.

POMPANO BEACH, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Assura Windows and Doors LLC for exposing employees to amputation, noise, struck-by and other safety and health hazards at the Pompano Beach, Florida, manufacturing facility. The window and door manufacturer faces $162,688 in penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published more guidance to provide information to employees and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it goes into effect on April 1, 2020.

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced more guidance to provide information to workers and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today the availability of approximately $22 million in Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants to provide services to reintegrate homeless veterans into meaningful employment and work to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. The department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) administers the program.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced three new opinion letters that address compliance issues related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An opinion letter is an official, written opinion by the Department’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) on how a particular law applies in specific circumstances presented by the person or entity that requested the letter.

The opinion letters issued today are:

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced more guidance to provide information to workers and employers about how each will be able to take advantage of the protections and relief offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) when it takes effect on April 1, 2020.

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia issued the following statement regarding Unemployment Insurance claims:

In the week ending March 21, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 3,283,000, an increase of 3,001,000 from the previous week's revised level. This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series. The previous high was 695,000 in October of 1982. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 281,000 to 282,000. The 4-week moving average was 998,250, an increase of 765,750 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 232,250 to 232,500.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor is hosting a national online dialogue, Providing Expanded Family and Medical Leave to Employees Affected by COVID-19, to help employers and workers understand their responsibilities and rights, respectively, under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

On March 18, 2020, the President signed into law the FFCRA, requiring certain employers to provide employees with paid family and medical leave or paid sick leave for specified reasons in response to COVID-19.