Department of Labor News

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 …

Rideshare, Retailers Brace for Tough US Independent Contractor Rule

WASHINGTON –– After weeks of lobbying the White House on how gig workers should be treated, the rideshare, delivery and retail industries are bracing for a new rule that is likely to make it easier to classify them as employees, …

Law Firm: Workplace Class Action Settlement Costs Reached Record $3.6B in 2021

The cost of settling workplace class-action lawsuits reached a record high in 2021, defying expectations that the COVID-19 pandemic would decrease the size and reduce the number of payouts, according to a new report by the Seyfarth Shaw law firm …

Amazon Accused of Under-Reporting Covid Cases Contracted at Work

Amazon.com Inc. provided “misleading or grossly incomplete” data about the number of Covid-19 infections potentially spread in its U.S. facilities, according to a labor group calling on the federal government to investigate the company. Of the almost 20,000 employees the …

Labor Secretary Says Most Gig Workers Should Be Classified as Employees

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s top labor official said most gig workers in the United States should be classified as “employees” deserving of related benefits, in what could be a policy shift that is likely to raise costs for companies …

COVID Exposing Small Businesses to ‘Staggering’ Number of Employment Lawsuits

A disproportionate share of employment lawsuits related to COVID-19 have been filed against small businesses, reversing the usual trend of the deepest pockets attracting the most litigation. The Fisher Phillips law firm discovered when it updated its COVID-19 employment law …

Judge Voids Trump ‘Joint Employer’ Rule That U.S. States Called Anti-Labor

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a Trump administration rule that narrowed the definition of “joint employer,” and which the attorneys general of 17 states and Washington, D.C. said would eliminate important labor protections for workers. …

Labor Dept. Offers Overtime Guidance to Employers With Remote Workers

The U.S. Labor Department is reminding employers that they must make a reasonable effort to keep track of all hours worked by non-exempt employees — even those working varied hours from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The department’s Wage …

Report: 2,866 COVID Claims, 48 Deaths Among Federal Workers

WASHINGTON — Nearly 3,000 federal workers have filed compensation claims for having contracted COVID-19 on the job, a number that is expected to double by early next month, according to a Department of Labor review. Through mid-June, families of 48 …

Rehab Patients’ Unpaid Work for Big Companies Likely Illegal

A nationally renowned drug rehab program in Texas and Louisiana has sent patients struggling with addiction to work for free for some of the biggest companies in America, likely in violation of federal labor law. The Cenikor Foundation has dispatched …