News and reports from the Department of Labor.

WASHINGTON – In its ongoing effort to protect U.S. workers’ retirement and health benefits, the U.S. Department of Labor has updated its cybersecurity guidance to apply to all types of plans governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), including health and welfare plans, as well as employee retirement benefit plans.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of $90 million in grants to organizations across 44 states and Puerto Rico. The funds aim to provide training, career services, and related support to migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents, helping them develop skills for careers in both agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.

The Department of Labor will hold its next meeting of the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, also known as the ERISA Advisory Council, from September 10 to 12 at the department’s headquarters in Washington.

The Biden-Harris administration has announced the “Investing in America and Investing in Americans” Executive Order to enhance federal investments in good-paying, safe jobs that offer union rights and critical benefits such as childcare. The announcement was made by President Biden at a United Association union hall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, accompanied by Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the renewal of its partnership with the Mexican Consulate in San Jose. The collaboration aims to inform the greater San Jose community about workers’ rights under federal labor laws, ensure employer compliance, and combat abuses against vulnerable workers.

WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su issued a statement regarding the August 2024 Employment Situation report, highlighting key developments in the U.S. labor market.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $91,074 in back wages and damages from JRM Enterprises Inc., operating as JRM Landscape & Design, a Littleton-based landscaping company. The recovery follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced updates on goods and products produced through child or forced labor, the industries where children are exploited, and how governments can combat these abuses.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $54,185 in back wages for 54 workers after an investigation revealed that Teijin Automotive Technologies Inc. failed to issue paychecks between March and August 2023. The Wage and Hour Division found that the company violated overtime and minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

NASHVILLE, TN – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $31,761 in back wages and damages from a Tennessee operator of assisted living communities that illegally fired one worker for questioning the employer’s pay practices and denied full overtime wages to seven care workers.

BUFFALO, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $375,649 in back wages and liquidated damages for 806 current and former employees of nursing homes in upstate New York that were denied overtime pay in violation of federal law.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $141,262 in back wages and damages for 28 workers employed by Solid Care Home Health Inc., a Dallas-area home healthcare provider. The recovery follows an investigation by the Department's Wage and Hour Division, which found that the company had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a summary judgment in federal court to recover over $1 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 193 employees of a Pennsylvania home care agency. The agency, WiCare Home Care Agency LLC, and its owner, Luis Hernandez, were found to have failed to pay the required minimum and overtime wages.

The U.S. Department of Labor, in collaboration with the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, and Northern Border Regional Commission, has announced $49 million in grant awards aimed at preparing workers for secure jobs in high-demand industries within their communities. This initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris administration's commitment to revitalizing economic opportunities in often overlooked regions.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $103,665 in back wages for 38 workers employed by a Southlake landscaping company that misclassified them as independent contractors, thereby denying them overtime pay.