News and reports from the Department of Labor.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $594,274 in back wages and damages from Teracom Inc., a Saline, Michigan-based employer, following an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed that Teracom Inc. misclassified 63 employees as independent contractors, paid them a day-rate regardless of overtime hours worked, failed to pay overtime, and denied two employees their final paychecks. Additionally, the company did not maintain complete and accurate timekeeping records as required by law.

A federal jury in Kansas has awarded $957,324 in back wages to 168 workers at three Wichita-area restaurants. The verdict, rendered on August 30, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, came after a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit against Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant. The department’s Wage and Hour Division alleged that from May 2017 to December 2022, owners Sergio Delgado, Luis Alfaro, and Jose Alvaro de Leon violated provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon against Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. and R.B. Pamplin Corporation, alleging the unlawful acquisition of company-owned real estate by the R.B. Pamplin Corporation and Subsidiaries Pension Plan, jeopardizing millions of dollars in retirement funds for thousands of employees.

A federal appeals court has upheld a decision that F.W. Webb Co. wrongly exempted inside sales representatives from overtime pay. The ruling, issued on August 1, 2024, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, affirms a summary judgment from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Federal workplace safety inspectors have identified significant safety and health violations at a Wisconsin animal food production facility, exposing employees to risks of explosions, fires, and long-term respiratory illnesses due to excessive airborne dust.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a default judgment against Dierkes Heating and Air LLC, operating as Dierkes Heating and Air Inc., and its owner Todd Dierkes. The judgment, issued by the U.S. District Court of Minnesota on September 12, 2024, mandates the restoration of $9,259 to the company's SIMPLE IRA Plan for losses stemming from unremitted and untimely remitted employee contributions.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $44,816 in back wages and benefits for 12 apprentices who were incorrectly classified as laborers by Walker White Inc., a subcontractor on a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ construction project at Fort Jackson.

A suburban Madison contractor with a history of federal safety violations, including incidents leading to an employee's fatal injuries in 2022, has once again been found exposing workers to significant hazards. A recent federal safety inspection revealed that GL Construction of Madison LLC failed to protect its employees from falls at a Verona residential construction site.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of $1.4 million in grants to support four community organizations in their efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence and harassment against underserved and marginalized women workers.

A federal lawsuit has resulted in the recovery of $178,000 in back wages, damages, and penalties from Hall Drive-Ins Inc., an operator of 10 Fort Wayne-area restaurants. This resolution addresses U.S. Department of Labor litigation filed in 2023 concerning violations of tip-pool requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

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.