News and reports from the Department of Labor.

The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a federal court judgment mandating Community Living of Brookfield LLC and its owner, Matthew Sebuliba, to pay $27,184 to 27 caregivers. This amount includes $13,592 in back wages and an equal sum in liquidated damages following an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed violations related to overtime, minimum wage, and recordkeeping from March 26, 2021, to March 25, 2023.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $170,439 in back wages for 60 workers who were denied overtime pay by KDK Transport Co., a non-emergency medical transport company based in Coeburn, Virginia. The Wage and Hour Division's investigation revealed that the company erroneously applied the Motor Carrier Exemption, failing to combine all hours worked by drivers, including driving and wait times, when calculating total weekly hours for overtime wages. This oversight resulted in violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which mandates time-and-a-half pay for...

AUSTIN, TX – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has revealed significant safety and health violations at Ecore International Inc.'s Mexia plant, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial flooring and surfaces in the nation. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted an inspection in January 2024, uncovering more than a dozen violations.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that an RNR Tire Express franchise in Davenport, Iowa, failed to include non-discretionary bonuses in the regular rate of pay when calculating overtime pay, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also did not maintain timecards for hourly paid employees.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the allocation of up to $13.9 million in funding to support pilot programs aimed at delivering information technology skills, training, and job services to Job Corps students. Management and Training Corp. (MTC) will receive up to $3.9 million, while Net America Corp. will be awarded up to $9.9 million for demonstration projects in the Atlanta and San Francisco regions.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the successful resolution of a course of remediation addressing alleged labor rights violations at the RV Fresh processing facility in Michoacan, Mexico, under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. The Secretary of Labor and U.S. Trade Representative co-chair the Interagency Labor Committee.

GUAYNABO, PR: Una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de los EE. UU. ha recuperado $238,746 en salarios por horas extras adeudados a 1,024 instaladores de paneles solares y sistemas que trabajaban para una empresa de energía renovable en Puerto Rico que no incluyó varios bonos en sus salarios y calculó incorrectamente los salarios por horas extras.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $167,101 in back wages for 20 workers employed by a Keene roofing contractor, The Melanson Company, a Tecta America Company LLC. The company was found to have paid incorrect wages and improper overtime to foreign temporary workers under the federal H-2B nonimmigrant program.

A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has recovered $238,746 in overtime wages owed to 1,024 solar panel and system installers employed by a renewable energy company in Puerto Rico. The investigation found that the company failed to include various bonuses in their salaries and calculated overtime wages incorrectly.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced today a final rule updating eligibility requirements for current and former nuclear weapons workers seeking to file benefits claims related to beryllium sensitivity. The new rule, which will be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, July 16, makes benefits available to individuals once deemed ineligible.

Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited an Illinois construction contractor for exposing employees to falls from elevation, the leading cause of injury and death in the industry. The violations occurred during residential framing work at four subdivisions under construction in Mahomet and Savoy in January, March, and May 2024.

A U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found that one of four restaurants owned by popular Sonoma County chef Octavio Diaz willfully denied three workers at its Healdsburg establishment more than $35,000 in overtime wages.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has led to the recovery of $48,914 in back wages and damages for 18 cooks at two Davenport, Iowa locations of El Compita Mexican Bar and Grill. The investigation revealed that the restaurant failed to pay overtime at time and one-half the hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $45,732 in back wages and damages for 14 workers who were denied overtime pay by El Molino Taqueria in Walnut Creek, California. An investigation by the Department's Wage and Hour Division revealed that the restaurant owner did not compensate employees for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, which is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employer was found to have willfully paid overtime hours at straight-time rates and in cash.

BRIDGEPORT, CT – An Easton concrete and earthwork contractor could have prevented an employee from suffering fatal injuries in a December 2023 trench collapse at a New Canaan work site but failed to follow federal safety standards for excavations.