OSHA Cites Iowa Post Office For Blocked Exits and Failing to Train Employees

OSHA News Release- Region 7 U.S. Department of Labor May 13, 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Cites Iowa U.S. Postal Office For Blocked Exits and Failing to Train on Emergency Plan ANKENY, IA ‒ The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for obstructing exit…

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DOL issues Opinion Letter: FMLA Leave May Not Be Saved For Future Use

The Department of Labor issued an Opinion Letter Thursday that says an employee with a FMLA-qualifying condition may not use paid leave and decline to use FMLA leave to preserve FMLA leave for future use.  This will likely result in employers digging more deeply into employees’ reasons for taking paid leave. Employees will need to…

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DOL Issues Two New FMLA Opinion Letters

Organ Donation Surgery Can Qualify as Serious Health Condition Under FMLA The DOL considered whether an employee who donates an organ can qualify for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, even when the donor is in good health before the donation and chooses to donate the organ solely to improve someone else’s health. Additionally,…

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DOL issues Opinion Letter on FMLA-protected rest breaks

A new DOL Opinion Letter on FMLA-protected rest breaks was issued today (see below). It should be included in the next JCIM. Extra rest breaks is an option that could benefit some workers with disabilities. The employee must take unpaid leave or may use their paid leave if available. The DOL ruling states that “employees…

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The DOL Isn’t Done Yet and Non-Compliance is Getting More Expensive Than Ever

By Dena Sokolow – July 21, 2016 Employers around the country are busy trying to keep up with the fast and furious rule-making from the Department of Labor. From OSHA reporting requirements, the persuader and fiduciary rules and the new overtime regulations, this unprecedented activity from the DOL has kept employers scrambling to understand the…

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DOL Publishes New FMLA Poster and New FMLA Employer Guide

By Jeff Nowak – April 25, 2016 Earlier today, the Department of Labor announced that it soon will require employers across the country to post a new DOL general FMLA Notice in their workplaces. In issuing this new directive, the agency also unveiled a new guide to help employers navigate and administer the FMLA. Here’s…

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DOL Blog: A Year of Injuries, and Lessons (USPS had 229 Severe Injury Reports)

By Dr. David Michaels – March 17, 2016In January 2015, we started requiring employers to report any work-related severe injury – such as an amputation or an injury requiring hospitalization – within 24 hours. In the first year, we received 10,388 reports, or nearly 30 a day. Each report told the story of a man or…

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Statement by US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez on BLS 2015 Union Membership report

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement on the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report released today on union membership in 2015: “With today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report, we are reminded again that the labor movement continues to be one of the most powerful forces for strengthening the…

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