Tag: Labor Department

How to Beat Rising Quit Rates

The growing economy and low unemployment rate have created an unfortunate side effect for many organizations—increasing employee turnover. In July, 3.58 million Americans quit their jobs, the largest percentage in 17 years, according to Labor Department data. The proportion of workers quitting their jobs, known as the quit rate, reached 2.4%. 

DOL Announces Safety and Health Training Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced the availability of a total of $4.6 million in funds in the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program. The application deadline of June 28 is fast approaching—read on to see if these grants for safety and health training may help your organization.

New FMLA Certification Forms Available from DOL

The U.S. Labor Department has updated its model forms and notices relating to Family and Medical Leave Act certification. Except for a new expiration date — Feb. 28, 2015 — the new documents are identical to those that expired at the end of last year. Here are links to the forms. WH-380-E Certification of Health […]

Labor Dept. Urges High Court to Accept Narrow Definition of Sales Reps

By Khristine Scholtz The U.S. Labor Department, continuing its push for a narrow definition of outside salesmen, argued in a friend of the court brief that the outside-sales exemption is limited to employees who make their own sales. At issue is whether pharmaceutical sales representatives must be paid for working overtime hours, or are exempt […]

OFCCP Gives Employers Until Feb. 21 to Respond to Quota for Hiring Workers With Disabilities

Federal contractors  have an additional two weeks — until Feb. 21 — to respond to the Labor Department’s proposal establishing goals for hiring workers with disabilities. In December, Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs released proposed regulations that would require federal contractors to aim to have 7 percent of their workforce be individuals with […]

No Kidding: Chuck E. Cheese Fined for Child Labor Breach

The San Jose Mercury ran an interesting piece recently about a wage and hour audit at the family pizza chain, Chuck E. Cheese. You might recall from ads that the company boasts that at Chuck E. Cheese, a “kid can be a kid.” What the Merc tells us is, the Chuckster not only likes to […]

Bulletin Item: New ADA and Health Care Guides Available

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has published a practical new guide to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guide is geared toward small employers, but contains useful information regardless of employer size. Topics covered include: who is protected; avoiding mistakes during interviews; what questions you can ask about a medical condition; and more. For a […]

News Notes: Labor Department Reminds Employers That Service Time Counts Toward FMLA Eligibility

The federal Labor Department has issued a memorandum clarifying its position on the rights of returning uniformed service members to take family and medical leave. The department says that active duty time must be counted toward these workers’ eligibility to take time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. In particular, employees generally become […]

Wage And Hour: $10 Million Settlement For Employees Who Weren’t Paid For Donning And Doffing Protective Gear; Guidelines To Follow

Although it may seem obvious that you have to pay employees for all the hours they spend on their job duties, employers commonly violate this rule. In recent years, a string of employers—including Nordstrom, Taco Bell and meat processor Monfort Inc.—have been hit with lawsuits for not paying workers for “off-the-clock” time. And now a […]