Employee Benefit Research Institute survey probes small business retirement plans

A Philadelphia home healthcare agency has been ordered by a federal court to pay approximately $1.6 million in overtime compensation, following a consent judgment. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) supported the measure after discovering that 288 employees of the company were deliberately denied overtime pay.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has declared that more than 208,000 gig workers are due at least $163 million in back pay. The announcement was made by Acting Secretary Julie Su via social media, where she also revealed the establishment of a website to help workers determine if they are owed back pay.

A Florida-based roofing contractor, All Phase Roofing, has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for three repeat violations concerning a lack of fall protection measures for their employees. The charges were revealed following an OSHA investigation, which resulted in fines totaling $159,117.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a division of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), has accused Illinois-based roofing contractor, Miller Building Systems LLC, of breaching workplace safety regulations. The company, owned by Elmer Miller, has previously been fined over 20 times by the department. This time, the DOL alleges that the company exposed its employees to potential falls while they were engaged in a residential construction project in Savoy, Illinois.

The news media industry experienced significant job cuts in 2023, marking it as the worst year for the sector since the onset of COVID-19, according to a report by Poynter. The report suggests that the industry's downward spiral may not be nearing its end.

HBD Industries, an Ohio-based industrial rubber hose manufacturer, is once again facing scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The company's subsidiary, HBD/Thermoid Inc., which operates in Bellefontaine, has been cited by the DOL seven times since 2013.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has imposed a $1.4 million fine on a Wisconsin sawmill, Florence Hardwoods LLC, for violating federal law by permitting minors to operate hazardous machinery. The department also found that the employees involved were not given sufficient training to adhere to safety guidelines for machine maintenance.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has filed a lawsuit against a Vermont excavation company, Bevins & Son Inc., alleging that the company used social media to retaliate against workers who had been awarded lost wages earlier this year. This development follows a settlement that the department negotiated with the company earlier this year.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has imposed fines totalling $315,000 on two Houston-based contractors for exposing employees to safety hazards during the demolition of Friendswood High School in June. An investigation found that the companies did not comply with federal requirements for an engineering survey to be conducted before work commenced.

A grain company based in Westfield, Illinois is facing a $115,855 fine from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) following two incidents where employees were caught in a grain bin. The first incident occurred in February when a worker was trapped for five hours, and a second incident occurred in July when the company reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that an employee had suffered a partial leg amputation after sustaining leg injuries.

Workers in the landscaping and horticultural industries across four western states and three Pacific territories are now required to comply with a labor program designed to enhance workplace safety.

Minnesota-based construction contractor, Wagner Construction Inc., is once again under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for repeated violations related to trenching and excavation hazards. Despite agreeing in 2021 to enhance safety measures for its employees, the company was found to have exposed workers to similar risks in June while replacing a residential water main and 20 separate curb stop valves for house connections in Minot, North Dakota.

John O’Brien is a veteran journalist and editor of Legal Newsline. The American Legal Record Podcast interviewed O’Brien last week regarding his recent article, “Company being crushed under weight of feds' child labor probe, despite no charges.”

A private state prison for men, located in South Bay, Florida was discovered to be in violation of recognized safety practices which left its employees vulnerable to attacks from prisoners. This disregard for standard protocol was uncovered during a federal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

The owner of a Michigan senior home care services company is looking at jail time for failing to provide U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigators with time and pay records. The owner, Rosie Guthrie, has been held in contempt of court since September 27 for refusing to comply with a federal court order.