News from March 2023



Department of Labor recovers $151K in back wages, assesses $49K in penalties after review of Boca Grande resort’s use of guest visa program

News Release: TAMPA, FL - A U.S. Department of Labor probe into how a Boca Grande resort used the federal H-2B program to employ guest visa workers for seasonal labor has recovered $151,598 in back wages for nine non-immigrant workers and led to $49,401 in civil money penalties for the resort.


Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under the Taxpayer First Act (TFA) discussed on March 13 by Labor Department

The US Labor Department published a four page rule on March 13, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.




US Department of Labor finds oil, gas waste company failed to protect workers from dangers of inhalation after employee suffers fatal injury

News Release: EL PASO, TX - Federal investigators found an oil and gas company employee suffered fatal exposure to hydrogen sulfide while working near a sump pit in September 2022.


Labor Department publishes notice on March 13

The US Labor Department published a five page notice on March 13, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.


US Department of Labor selects nine communities, partners to expand, improve workforce opportunities for all young people

News Release: WASHINGTON - To expand opportunities for youth workers across the nation and improve their employment outcomes, the U.S. Department of Labor has selected the first nine communities and their associated partners in its Youth Systems Building Academy. The nine chosen “communities" held their first in-person session from March 7-9, 2023, and will collaborate online before the academy convenes again in the summer of 2023.


Labor Department discusses Proposed Revision of Information Collection; FECA Medical Report Forms, Claim for Compensation on March 15

The US Labor Department published a two page notice on March 15, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.



Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc.: Application for Expansion of Recognition discussed on March 15 by Labor Department

The US Labor Department published a two page notice on March 15, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.


Equal Pay Day 2023: Department of Labor initiatives seek to close gender, racial wage gap, increase equity in federal programs

News Release: WASHINGTON - For women working in the U.S., the date of Equal Pay Day isn’t a day of celebration. Rather, the day is a reminder that it takes women 15 months to earn the same amount as men earned in 12 months.



Low-cost, higher risk: Dollar General inspections in Florida, Georgia find employees exposed to blocked emergency exits, other dangers

News Release: ATLANTA - While it portrays its store chain as “America’s neighborhood general store," Dollar General Corp. and Dolgencorp LLC - one of the nation’s largest discount retailers - continues to expose workers to unsafe conditions, this time at four Florida and Georgia stores.


Foxx Skewers Biden Over IDR Plan Following CBO’s Blockbuster Cost Estimate

News Release: Today, Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) skewered the Biden administration’s IDR rule after the Congressional Budget Office estimated this radical policy will cost taxpayers $230 billion. The IDR proposal will severely exacerbate rising college costs and excessive borrowing.


Court orders Ohio healthcare provider to pay $22K in back wages, damages, penalties to 7 employees, after investigation finds overtime violations

News Release: SPRINGDALE, OH - The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a federal court order that recovers $19,934 in back wages and damages from an Ohio home healthcare and adult daycare service provider who denied seven employees overtime wages and failed to properly pay in-home workers when clients’ needs disrupted their sleep time.


Department of Labor lauds Job Corps’ students, contributions to wildland firefighting efforts in 2022 by US Forest Service

News Release: WASHINGTON - Amid more than 66,000 wildfires that burned nearly 7.6 million acres of land across the country in 2022, students in Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers combined to provide 204,633 total hours of support to federal firefighters - a 20 percent increase over the previous year - the U.S. Department of Labor announced today.


Labor Department discusses Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Work Opportunity Tax Credit on March 13

The US Labor Department published a two page notice on March 13, according to the U.S. Government Publishing Office.



Biden-Harris administration launches initiative to promote equal opportunity, expand workforce for federally funded jobs in large infrastructure projects

News Release: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor announced today, on Equal Pay Day, the launch of an initiative to promote equal opportunity by federal contractors in the construction trades on large federally funded projects, helping to bring more underrepresented communities into the workforce as the President’s agenda to Invest in America continues creating millions of good-paying jobs.