US Department of Labor, Missouri roofing contractor reach agreement after teen worker’s fatal fall in 2023

US Department of Labor, Missouri roofing contractor reach agreement after teen worker’s fatal fall in 2023 JAMESPORT, MO – The U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement with Jamesport roofing contractor John Troyer after a federal investigation determined he violated federal laws, resulting in a teen worker’s fatal fall in March 2023.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Troyer, owner of Troyer Construction LLP which operates as Troyer Roofing & Coatings, failed to provide workers with required fall protection. A separate investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division found he violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by employing minors illegally in roofing work from May 2022 to June 2023.Under the agreement, Troyer must pay $290,000, which includes $156,259 in OSHA penalties, $15,000 in child labor penalties, and $118,741 in criminal fines to the U.S. Department of Justice. The company will also enroll in...

US Department of Labor announces final rule to modify how it sets adverse effect wage rates in the H-2A program

US Department of Labor announces final rule to modify how it sets adverse effect wage rates in the H-2A program
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced it will publish a final rule to amend how the Adverse Effect Wage Rates for the H-2A program are set to improve the rates’ consistency and accuracy based on the work actually performed by these workers and to better prevent H-2A workers’ employment negatively affecting the wages of U.S. workers in similar positions. The H-2A program allows employers to address temporary labor needs by employing foreign agricultural workers when a lack of U.S. workers for the positions exists, and as long as hiring non-U.S. workers does not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers in similar jobs. The program’s Adverse Effect Wage Rates is the wage below which there would be an adverse effect on the wages of U.S. workers.      The department uses the data for field and livestock workers combined as reported by the Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Survey to set the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, but on a few occasions in recent years, the FLS has not been conducted. In December 2021, the department proposed using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey to set the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for field and livestock workers if the FLS is not available. At the same time, the department proposed that the Adverse Effect Wage Rates for all other H-2A job opportunities, such as when those occupations are not included in the FLS survey, be based on occupation-specific OEWS wage data to ensure accurate wage rates are offered and paid to workers performing more skilled jobs which command higher pay, such as supervisors of farmworkers, truck drivers and agricultural construction workers. The final rule establishes the following methodology for determining Adverse Effect Wage Rates: The department will continue to use the average annual hourly wage as reported by the FLS for field and livestock workers, combined, occupations – which represent most agricultural jobs – for the state or region. For all other agricultural jobs, not represented adequately or reported by current FLS data, the department will use the statewide or national average annual hourly wages for the occupational classification reported by OEWS program. For job opportunities that cover more than one classification, the department will base adverse effect rates on the highest wage for the applicable occupations. The Federal Register is scheduled to publish the final rule on Feb. 28.

Published at February 26, 2023 at 04:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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