News

As we focus on essential protections for essential workers, a fundamental step in that effort is ensuring that employers treat workers as employees. A common violation we encounter in our investigations is the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. For example, a restaurant employer may misclassify a dishwasher as an independent contractor. Then when that dishwasher works 65 hours per

The economy added266,000 jobs inApril, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At 6.1%, April’s unemployment rate didn’t change much from March.In short: We’re on the right path, and we need to get more Americans back to work.There’s always a lot of data in these reports, so here are five numbers to help you make sense

What do you need to connect with meaningful employment? As we grappled with major changes in the workforce and the pandemic’s many challenges, that’s the question we asked military spouses who were transitioning with their service member from active duty last year. The answer: Better information on the job search and application process, from crafting a compelling resume to marketing

As a labor leader and as a mayor, I’ve helped to create and grow apprenticeship programs, andI’ve seen firsthand whatthey do for working people.Apprenticeshipschange people’s lives and bring whole families into the middle class. That makes apprenticeshipa powerful tool that can help us build back better with an economy that works for everyone– and right nowat the Department of Labor,

It’s a sad fact: Falls are the leading cause of construction fatalities. In 2019, more than 400 workers lost their lives in falls on construction sites, while even morewere seriously injured. Falls can be fatal even at low heights, so anytime someone is working 6 feet or higher above ground, they should be wearing fall protection. The good news is

In his first 100 days, President Biden has acted to get America back on track by addressing the crises facing our nation: vaccinating America to beat the pandemic, delivering much needed help to American families, making transformative investments to rescue and rebuild our economy, and showing that government can deliver for its people. The Department of Labor has done its

When you grow up in a blue-collar community and work construction like I did, people you know get hurt, sick, and lose their lives on the job. And it’s such a hard thing for everyone. A loved one leaves the house in the morning, like any other day — but then they don’t come home. Instead, the phone rings. And

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and I believe I speak on behalf of many in my profession, human resource compliance, who are grateful for its establishment — because it helps us do our job better! From my perspective, ODEP is a small agency that performs in a large way,

This week, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration marks a half century of protecting workers. Safety and health advocates worked for years to help pass the landmark Occupational Safety and Health Act, which went into effect on April 28, 1971. Prior to that date, workers in this country lacked many basic safety and health protections. Are America’s workplaces safer fifty

As we continue to grapple with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in virtually every aspect of our lives, one fact has become abundantly clear – we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the essential workers who, despite all risks, remained on the job and kept us moving forward. Workers in grocery stores, public transportation, agriculture, health