Department of Labor News

El Paso Contractor Faces $260K Fine After Employee Fatally Injured in Trench Collapse

An El Paso, Texas contractor could have prevented a 37-year-old employee from suffering fatal injuries in February 2024 by following federally required safety standards to avoid trench collapses, the same failure for which the U.S. Department of Labor has cited …

State Street Agrees to $4.2 Million Pay Equity Fund

The Department of Labor announced the signing of a conciliation agreement with State Street Corp. in which the financial services firm will allocate $4.2 million for future pay adjustments to resolve alleged compensation discrimination. The department’s Office of Federal Contract …

US Trade Groups Sue Over Biden Rule on ‘Gig’ Work, Contracting

Major U.S. business groups on Tuesday filed the latest lawsuit challenging a Biden administration rule that would make it more difficult for companies to treat some workers as independent contractors rather than employees. The groups including the U.S. Chamber of …

Long Island Company Owes $252K for Back Pay, Damages

A awnings company based in Long Island and its owner will pay $252,370 in back wages and damages to nearly three dozen workers who were denied overtime wages over a three-year period, after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation. A …

Pennsylvania Restaurant to Pay $269K for Illegal Pay Practices, Child Labor Violations

A Collegeville, Pennsylvania restaurant and its owners must pay $268,660 in back wages, liquidated damages and punitive damages to satisfy a consent judgment obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor after an investigation into the employers’ illegal pay practices. According …

Texas Pipe Company Faces Department of Labor Lawsuit for Violating Whistleblower Protections

A Department of Labor lawsuit claims a Tyler, Texas pipe manufacturer violated federal whistleblower protections after the company fired an employee because they requested to use a respirator to protect them from smoke and fumes in the work area. The …

Meat Processor Agrees to Reform Hiring After Two Teens Found at a Minnesota Plant

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) __ A second company involved in meat processing has agreed to reform its hiring practices after investigators recently discovered teenagers working there. The Labor Department said Friday that Monogram Foods will pay a more than $30, 000 …

Injured Workers Pharmacy to Pay $10M for Improper Handling of ‘Red Flag’ Prescriptions

Andover, Massachusetts-based Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) has agreed to pay $10 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by improperly filling prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids, and submitting false claims for payment to the Department …

Jury Awards $22M in Back Pay Verdict, Biggest Ever Win by Labor Department

A federal court jury has awarded back wages of more than $22 million to the U.S. Department of Labor for more than 7,500 employees working for East Penn Manufacturing Co. Inc. — one of the largest battery manufacturers — after …

Judge Reinstates Trump Independent Contractor Rule Withdrawn by Biden

A federal judge in Texas has nixed the Biden Department of Labor’s withdrawal of a Trump administration rule governing whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. U.S. District Court Judge Marcia A. Crone reinstated the Trump independent …