February 23, 2023

Business as usual: Mount Pleasant, Texas, Dollar Tree inspection finds storeroom exits blocked, boxes stacked dangerously

DALLAS – Soon after federal workplace safety inspectors arrived at a Dollar Tree store in Mount Pleasant, Texas, they found the national discount retailer again shortchanging employee safety – continuing a pattern of disregard dating back to 2017 – by allowing storeroom merchandise to block exits and walkways and stacking boxes high enough to fall on workers.

February 23, 2023

Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

In the week ending February 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 192,000, a decrease of 3,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised up by 1,000 from 194,000 to 195,000. The 4-week moving average was 191,250, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average was revised up by 250 from 189,500 to 189,750.

February 22, 2023

Court orders Salinas labor contractor to pay $460K in damages, penalties to 542 farmworkers after Department of Labor investigation, litigation

SAN FRANCISCO The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment that orders a Salinas labor contractor – who withheld final paychecks and transportation expenses – to hundreds of farmworkers to pay more than $460,000 in damages and penalties, following the department’s investigation and litigation.

February 22, 2023

US Department of Labor recovers $185K in overtime back wages owed to 181 workers of North Carolina rack system installation company

Employer:                                   IPD Company Inc., operating as IPD

Investigation site:                  7808 Pineville Matthews Road, Suite 12

February 22, 2023

US Department of Labor finds McDonald’s franchise operator violated child labor hours, safety regulations at seven locations in Erie, Warren

ERIE, PA A federal investigation has found the franchise operator of seven McDonald’s locations in Erie and Warren illegally allowed 154 minors, ages 14- and 15-years-old, to work at times not permitted by child labor laws and for more hours per week than allowed. The employer also assigned nine workers under age 16 to operate deep fryers in violation of federal law.

February 22, 2023

Una empresa de administración hotelera de Nueva York negó a sus empleados el pago de horas extras y beneficios al clasificarlos erróneamente como contratistas independientes

NUEVA YORK - Una investigación federal ha recuperado $113,613 en salarios atrasados e indemnización por daños y perjuicios para 71 empleados de una empresa de administración hotelera de Nueva York que les negó el salario completos, incluyendo las horas extras, al clasificar erróneamente a muchos de los trabajadores afectados como contratistas independientes.

February 22, 2023

Forced to live on tips: Department of Labor recovers $253K in back wages for 93 workers after Florida restaurants denied them minimum wage, overtime

ORLANDO, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $253,044 in back wages for 93 workers of four Florida restaurants after an investigation found the enterprise did not pay servers any wages and failed to pay other workers overtime rates.

February 22, 2023

New York City hotel management company denied employees overtime pay, benefits by misclassifying them as independent contractors

NEW YORK – A federal investigation has recovered $113,613 in back wages and liquidated damages for 71 employees of a New York City hotel management company that denied them their full-earned wages, including overtime, by misclassifying many of the affected workers as independent contractors.

February 22, 2023

Labor Department fines pizza restaurants $30K for child labor violations, recovers $12K for two managers illegally denied overtime wages

Labor Department fines pizza restaurants $30K for child labor violations, recovers $12K for two managers illegally denied overtime wages

Mio’s Pizza in Cincinnati, Milford allows minors to operate dangerous equipment

February 21, 2023

Court orders Illinois home healthcare provider to pay $1.1M in back wages, damages to 69 employees, after US Department of Labor investigation

URBANA, IL – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order requiring an Illinois home healthcare provider to pay 69 workers $1.1 million in back wages and damages for its failure to pay these workers for all hours worked.

February 21, 2023

Court requires North Texas dental practice, owners to pay $15K in back wages to workers fired for raising COVID-19 safety concerns

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX – Two workers at a North Texas dental practice will share $15,706 in back wages to be paid by the dentists who fired them for raising concerns about COVID-19 safety measures in Spring 2020, following a federal whistleblower investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.  

February 21, 2023

Investigation recovers $215K in back wages after finding Jacksonville restaurant chain kept workers’ tips, failed to pay minimum wage, overtime

Employer:                       Kazu Sushi Burrito

Investigation sites:              Kazu Sushi Burrito LLC, 6025 Butler Point Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256

February 21, 2023

US Department of Labor recovers $20K for employee illegally terminated by Bank of Dudley’s violations of medical leave protections

DUBLIN, GA – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $20,107 in back wages for a Georgia bank employee who suffered wrongful retaliation and termination after the financial institution violated their rights under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

February 17, 2023

US Department of Labor awards $50M to help 15 colleges in 14 states improve equitable access to training for good-paying jobs

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of $50 million in grants to help 15 community colleges in 14 states expand access to education and training for good-paying jobs and equitably meet employers’ and workers’ skill development needs.