September 13, 2020

ICYMI: U.S. Department of Labor Acts to Help American Workers and
Employers During the Coronavirus Pandemic

WASHINGTON, DC – Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor took a range of actions to aid American workers and employers as our nation combats the coronavirus pandemic.

Reopening America's Economy:

• Statement on Labor Day by U.S. Secretary of Labor Scalia – "Today we celebrate and thank the workers of America, whose hard work, determination, and ingenuity have built and sustain our amazing country. This has been a year of extraordinary challenges for American workers, and a year of extraordinary achievements, as workers in our hospitals, farms, plants, and factories have supported one another and the nation. [Last Friday's] jobs report reflected some of the fruits of those efforts, with 1.4 million jobs added to the economy and the unemployment rate dropping to 8.4 percent. The Department of Labor remains focused on helping millions more Americans return to work safely, and to providing continued support to those who remain unemployed."

• U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia Highlights Mine Safety and Economic Recovery in West Virginia – Secretary Scalia traveled to Grafton and Bridgeport, West Virginia, to discuss mine safety, economic recovery, and the importance of the coal mining industry to the American economy.

Keeping America's Workplaces Safe and Healthy:

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. for Failing to Protect Employees from Coronavirus – OSHA has cited Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus.

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health System for Failing to Protect Employees from the Coronavirus – OSHA has cited Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health System in Shreveport, Louisiana, for failing to ensure employees wore proper protective equipment.

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites Hackensack Meridian Health in North Bergen, New Jersey, For Failing to Protect Employees from Coronavirus – OSHA has cited Hackensack Meridian Health Residential Care Inc. OSHA issued two serious citations and one other-than-serious violation for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus at its North Bergen, New Jersey, facility.

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites JBS Foods Inc. for Failing to Protect Employees from Exposure to the Coronavirus – Based on a coronavirus-related inspection, OSHA cited the company for a violation of the general duty clause for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious harm.

• U.S. Department of Labor Cites New Jersey Hospital For Failing to Protect Workers from the Coronavirus – OSHA has cited CarePlus Bergen Inc., doing business as Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, for violating respiratory protection standards at its Paramus, New Jersey, location.

Defending Workers' Rights to Paid Leave and Wages Earned:

• U.S. Department of Labor Revises Regulations to Clarify Paid Leave Requirements under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act – The Wage and Hour Division posted revisions to regulations that implemented the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).

• U.S. Department of Labor Offers Webinar for Iowa Business Owners, Employers and Other Stakeholders on Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave – On September 15, the Wage and Hour Division, the IRS, and the U.S. Small Business Administration are presenting a webinar on paid sick leave, and expanded family and medical leave requirements of the FFCRA for Iowa's employers and business owners.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Labor is focused on protecting the safety and health of American workers, assisting our state partners as they deliver traditional unemployment and expanded unemployment benefits, ensuring Americans know their rights to new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave, providing guidance and assistance to employers, and carrying out the mission of the Department.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

# # #

Media Contact:

Eric Holland, 202-693-4695, Holland.Eric.W@dol.gov

Release Number:  20-1756-NAT

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The Department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the Department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).