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:

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will hire 55 additional investigators and eight additional technicians to support its efforts to assist employers and ensure compliance with federal requirements.

BOCA RATON, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Action Roofing Services, Inc. – based in Pompano Beach, Florida – for exposing employees to fall hazards at a worksite in Boca Raton, Florida. The roofing contractor faces $51,952 in penalties.

DALLAS, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor and Cellco Partnership – doing business as Verizon Wireless, Verizon Business Network Services Inc. and Verizon Corporate Resources Group LLC, all entities under Verizon Communications Inc. (Verizon) – has entered into an Early Resolution Conciliation Agreement to resolve allegations of racial and gender-based hiring discrimination at facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

ORLANDO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Santos Burgos Corp. – operating as Guavate Restaurant in Orlando, Florida – has paid $30,878 in back wages to 42 employees for violating the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

PHOENIX, AZ – After a review by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Shamrock Foods Company – a food products and services company based in Phoenix, Arizona – has agreed to pay $858,492 in lost wages, benefits, and interest to resolve allegations of discrimination against female, African American and white applicants at its facilities in Phoenix, Arizona, and Eastvale, California.

KATY, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Zoom X Inc. – a delivery service contractor based in Katy, Texas – has paid $1,700 in back wages to an employee for wrongly denying paid sick leave for a qualifying reason covered under the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA) provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

ONAWA, IA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Kastim Corp. – operator of a McDonald’s franchise in Onawa, Iowa – has paid an employee $573 in back wages for wrongly denying the worker’s request for paid leave to care for children due to school closures related to the coronavirus pandemic.

WASHINGTON, DC – With school and summer activity schedules greatly altered as America continues to re-open in the wake of the coronavirus, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) today issued two Field Assistance Bulletins to clarify issues relevant to the pandemic’s effects on the workplace.

The bulletins issued today specifically address the following:

OPA-LOCKA, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Raider Environmental Services of Florida Inc. – a consulting service based in Opa-locka, Florida – has paid an employee $1,600 in back wages after having failed to provide the employee paid sick leave for work time missed due to testing positive for the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have released joint coronavirus-related interim guidance for employers and workers performing seafood processing operations in onshore facilities and aboard vessels offshore.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA – After an investigation by  U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found a South San Francisco chain grocery store location failed to provide paid sick leave benefits to an employee forced to stay at home to care for children whose school closed due to the coronavirus, the employer agreed to pay the required benefits.

IRVINE, CA – A resolution by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has led a Subway franchisee in Irvine, California, to pay $595 in back wages to an employee who missed work to remain home to care for her children due to the lack of childcare during the coronavirus.

AUBURN, AL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), a Pep Boys automotive service location in Auburn, Alabama, has paid an employee $10,094 in back wages after WHD found the employer violated the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

BAKERSFIELD, CA – An employee of a Bakersfield, California, farm has received $5,402 in back wages after an investigation by the U.S.

SAN DIEGO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has reached a settlement with G-Global – a border warehousing company in Otay Mesa, California – in which the employer will pay 61 Mexican national employees $124,465 after investigators found the company paid the workers below minimum wage in pesos, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced five 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:

OCALA, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Eddie Woods Stables – a horse training center in Ocala, Florida – has paid $26,514 in wages to 42 employees for violating labor provisions of the H-2B visa program. The company also paid a $39,293 civil penalty that the department accessed.

NAPA, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Stayman Estates LLC – a residential care home operator based in Napa, California – will pay $225,000 in back wages to 25 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime requirements.

LINDALE, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Barrington Trucking – a trucking company based in Lindale, Texas – has paid $73,452 in back wages to 15 employees for violating the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).