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☆ OceanGate threatened to sue its former chief pilot in 2018 unless he withdrew allegations that he'd been fired in retaliation for raising safety concerns, says report
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

David Lochridge claimed he was fired in retaliation for raising safety concerns about the sub. Lochridge was fired in 2018 after a meeting with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, where they discussed safety. David Lochridge, OceanGate's former chief pilot, was fired in January 2018 after a meeting with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. The meeting was about safety concerns Lochridge raised in a report about the submersible, which was previously called the Cyclops II, the report said. In his safety report in January 2018, Lochridge pointed to alleged issues that were either defects or unproven, The New Yorker reported.

Persons: OceanGate, David Lochridge, Lochridge, —, Rush, Rob McCallum, Thomas Gilman, Gilman, McCallum, Insider's Tom Porter Organizations: Stockton Rush, Service, Yorker, Titan, US Department of Labor, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Rush Locations: Lochridge

☆ America's largest office tenant is embracing remote work, creating more pain for a market already in distress
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Daniel Geiger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The federal government is embracing remote work and cutting back its office footprint nationally. President Joe Biden and Donald Trump might not appear to agree on much, but when it comes to cutting back on office space, they're aligned. Now federal tenants are in for a new phase of belt-tightening as more accept remote and hybrid work, real estate experts say. "The majority of federal offices are still largely vacant on most days," said Darian LeBlanc, the director of government services at Cushman & Wakefield. So far, only the Department of Veterans Affairs has publicly said how it plans to use remote and hybrid work.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Biden —, Darian LeBlanc, LeBlanc, Rachel Davis, Davis, — Davis, Bob Hunt, Martin Selig, Jesse Lawder, Selig, Shalanda Young, Denis McDonough, Cushman, JBG Smith, Christi, who's Organizations: —, Trump, Cushman &, Washington DC, General Services Administration, Department of Labor, Management, FBI, Securities and Exchange Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Transportation Safety, L'Enfant Plaza, state's Department of General Services, National Association of State Locations: Cushman & Wakefield, United States, JLL, Seattle, Washington, L'Enfant, . Tennessee, Nashville, Knoxville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Branscom, California , Illinois, North Carolina, Florida

☆ Large Crack Spotted in Roller Coaster Prompts Its Shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Orlando Mayorquin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A roller coaster at an amusement park in Charlotte, N.C., was shut down on Friday after a visitor spotted a large crack in one of the ride’s pillars. The Carowinds amusement park said that it closed the coaster, called Fury 325, “after park personnel became aware of a crack at the top of a steel support pillar.”The ride will remain closed as crews make repairs, Courtney McGarry Weber, a park spokeswoman, said. Erin Wilson, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Labor said on Sunday that its Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau “will be investigating and plan to be at Carowinds on Monday.”Jeremy Wagner, who was visiting the park with his daughter, son, niece and his son’s friend on Friday, recorded video of the crack.

Persons: Courtney McGarry Weber, Erin Wilson, ” Jeremy Wagner Organizations: North Carolina Department of Labor Locations: Charlotte, N.C

☆ Your 401(k) plan may be worsening climate change, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Increasingly, employees are automatically enrolled in their 401(k) plan without weighing in on their investments. watch nowMeanwhile, some employers may be worried that their workers won't get high enough profits from ESG funds, Dyer said. A Trump administration-era rule discouraged retirement plan sponsors from offering ESG funds, experts say. How to examine your ESG 401(k) optionsIf you're in the small pool of employees who do have access to an ESG fund in your retirement plan, your research may end there. Employers have a fiduciary duty to administer retirement plans in the best interest of plan participants.

Persons: Dyer, Morgan Stanley, Trump, Joe Biden, Biden, Bradford Campbell, Campbell, Behar, Andrew Behar, Sow Organizations: CFA Institute, CFA, Department of Labor, House Republicans, Employers Locations: ESG, Texas, GreenFin

☆ A boss who dumped 91,500 pennies on an ex-employee's driveway was ordered to pay $40,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An autoshop owner has been ordered to pay almost $40,000 in back wages and damages. Miles Walker previously dumped 91,000 pennies on a former employee's driveway. The US government sued him for repeatedly failing to pay wages and illegal retaliation. He was sued by the US government for repeatedly failing to pay wages and illegal retaliation against an ex-worker, according to the lawsuit viewed by Insider. When Walker was contacted by the department, he said he wouldn't pay Flaten a penny.

Persons: Miles Walker, —, Andreas Flaten, Walker didn't, Walker, Flaten, Tremelle Howard Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, Labor Locations: Peachtree City , Georgia, Fayetteville , Georgia, Atlanta

☆ Teenagers are in high demand as summer hiring surge gets under way
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Job opportunities and wages rise for teensEconomists are predicting another strong summer for teen employment in 2023. Already, teens make up 18% of all summer hires this year, up from 15% a year ago, according to data from payroll platform Gusto. "The market for teens is hotter than it's ever been," said Luke Pardue, an economist at Gusto. watch nowThe strong labor market and increased demand for low-wage work have also contributed to a rise in labor force participation. Now, teens are more likely to have a paying job over the summer and while in school compared with just a few years ago.

Persons: Luke Pardue, Gregg Murset Organizations: New, U.S . Department of Labor

☆ A restaurant must pay workers $140,000 after allegedly hiring a fake priest to extract confessions of workers’ ‘sins’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento confirmed that they found “no evidence of any connection” between the fake priest and their diocese. Garibaldi and three other restaurant owners and operators were ordered to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to 35 employees. The restaurant will also have to pay $5,000 in civil penalties. Investigators also found that the restaurant denied employees overtime pay, managers were paid bonuses from the employee tip pool and some employees faced “adverse immigration consequences” for cooperating with investigators. “This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages,” Pilotin said.

Persons: Che Garibaldi, Taqueria Garibaldi, “, ”, Labor Marc Pilotin, Garibaldi, ” Pilotin Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Department of Labor, Labor, Catholic, Catholic News Agency Locations: New York, California, Taqueria, Sacramento, “, ”

☆ 2 Tennessee restaurants had to pay $270,000 to servers who were forced to share tips with dishwashers, the labor department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two restaurants made servers give $5 in tips to dishwashers on Fridays and Saturdays, the DOL said. The restaurants in Nashville also failed to pay overtime rates and keep accurate records, per the DOL. The restaurants paid $270,751 in back wages to 82 employees following the investigation. The DOL said that the restaurants had paid $270,751 in back wages to 82 employees following the investigation. As well as requiring servers to share tips with dishwashers, the restaurants failed to pay employees overtime rates of one-and-a-half times their usual hourly wages for hours worked over 40 in a week, the DOL said.

Persons: DOL, —, Lisa Kelly Organizations: Service, Department of Labor, Labor Locations: Nashville, Nashville , Tennessee, Tennessee

☆ Parents are struggling at work or quitting altogether because of the childcare crisis. This map shows how bad it is for families in every state.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds that childcare is weighing on parents' jobs. BLS data shows many employed people miss work because of childcare issues. Those job changes, per the report, "include quitting a job, not taking a job or greatly changing a job in the previous year." An analysis by economist Clive R. Belfield estimated that, roughly, inadequate childcare costs the US $122 billion annually, with $78 billion of that loss coming from parental income. Did you have to quit your job, reduce your work hours, or make another job change because of childcare issues?

Persons: Annie E, —, that's, AECF, Lisa Hamilton, Hamilton, Rachel, Clive R, Patty Murray Organizations: Casey Foundation, Service, National Survey of Children's, US Women's Bureau, Department of Labor, DC, Center for American, Bureau, Labor, Survey, jkaplan Locations: Washington, Arizona, North Carolina, Vermont, , Nebraska, DC, Massachusetts, Connecticut

☆ Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, faces a near $300,000 fine after a worker severed their fingertip on the job
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A worker lost a fingertip while working at a Hostess Brands facility, the Labor Department said. Federal investigators now say the company failed to provide workers with proper training. According to the department, the worker's amputation — reported by the company in December 2022 — occurred as they were attempting to reassemble a pump. In total, OSHA is accusing Hostess Brands of seven violations of federal safety standards, proposing civil penalties of just over $298,000. Hostess Brands employs about 3,000 people and reported revenues of more than $345 million in the first quarter of 2023.

Persons: —, Sukhvir Kaur Organizations: Hostess Brands, Labor Department, Federal, Service, US Department of Labor, Safety, Health Administration, OSHA Locations: Chicago

☆ An American Airlines flight attendant says she was accused of fraud after taking leave for post-mastectomy surgery
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An American Airlines flight attendant said she was accused of fraud after taking medical leave. Jeannine Schumacher said she took medical leave for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy. An American Airlines flight attendant said she was accused of taking fraudulent medical leave linked to a cancer diagnosis. Following successful treatment, Schumacher said she requested medical leave for reconstructive surgery, which her attendance manager appeared to informally approve over the phone for four consecutive months. Up to half of breast-cancer survivors in the US undergo reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Persons: Jeannine Schumacher, Schumacher, who's, she'd, There's Organizations: American Airlines, Association of Professional, American Cancer Society, National Library of Medicine, Department of Labor, Airlines Locations: Phoenix

☆ Petco collaborates with Snoop Dogg in new pet-care campaign
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Petco teams up with hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg for an innovative pet-care campaign. Petco has partnered with hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg for a new pet-care campaign, the company said Wednesday. The collaboration features Petco Picks by Snoop, which include toys, treats and grooming supplies, and offers social content showcasing behind-the-scenes footage of Snoop Dogg with pets, including his reflections on being a devoted dog owner, Petco said in a press release. "My pets gotta look good, feel good, smell good," Snoop Dogg said. The campaign's first ad showcases Snoop Dogg as the human form of a Doberman Pinscher, a nod to the rapper's 1993 hit "Who Am I?

Persons: Snoop, Petco, Snoop Dogg, Katie Nauman, Ron Coughlin, Chewy Organizations: American Pet Products Association, U.S . Department of Labor, Vital Care

☆ A California taco restaurant hired a 'priest' to ask staff to confess to workplace 'sins' like arriving late, an ex-employee told the Department of Labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A restaurant got a person "identified as a priest" to ask staff to confess to workplace "sins," an ex-worker said. They told a court the "priest" asked if they had stolen from the Sacramento, CA restaurant or harmed their employer. "The priest told me that he would instead ask me questions to get the sins out of me." They said that after the priest talked to staff, he left the restaurant together with one of the owners. Workers claimed that during the investigation, the restaurants instructed staff not to work with the DOL and told them to share false information.

Persons: DOL, —, Taqueria Garibaldi, Garibaldi, Che Garibaldi, William B, Shubb, Che Garibaldi's Organizations: Service, US Department of Labor, Department of Labor, DOL's, Che Garibaldi Inc, Workers, US, Court, Eastern, Eastern District of Locations: Sacramento , CA, Sacramento , California, Eastern District, Eastern District of California

☆ Social Security cost-of-living adjustment may be 2.7% in 2024, new estimate finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

New government data shows the annual rate of inflation dipped to the lowest level in about two years as of May. But that may be bittersweet news for Social Security beneficiaries, as they may receive a much lower cost-of-living adjustment in 2024 than they did this year. The Social Security COLA could be 2.7% in 2024 based on the latest consumer price index data, according to The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group. The CPI rose 4% from a year ago as of May, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday, and 0.1% for the month. The subset of the index used to determine next year's cost-of-living adjustment, the consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, or CPI-W, was up 3.6% year over year — the lowest level since March 2021, The Senior Citizens League noted.

Organizations: Social, Social Security, Senior Citizens League, Finance, GOP, U.S . Department of Labor

☆ Biden Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su engaged in tense West Coast port contract negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Julie Su testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on her nomination to be Labor Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. President Biden's Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su is in current communication with labor and port management representatives in an effort to help broker a deal at a time of rising tensions at ports up and down the West Coast. President Biden nominated Acting Secretary Su on February 28 to replace Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, who stepped down in March. She was previously confirmed by the Senate to serve as the deputy secretary of labor on July 13, 2021. It estimated a more widespread strike along the West Coast could cost approximately $1 billion per day.

Persons: Julie Su, Biden's, Su, Su's, Biden, Marty Walsh, Suzanne Clark, Paul Brashier Organizations: Health, Education, Labor, Capitol, California Labor, Workforce Development Agency, Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, The Department, United Mine Workers, AFL, Senate, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation, National Association of Manufacturers, . Chamber of Commerce, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, ILWU, Canadian, Logistics, ITS Logistics Locations: Washington , U.S, West, West Coast, Los Angeles, Long, U.S, ILWU Canada, Canadian West Coast, Panama, East

☆ How Dollar General's troubles have snowballed into cluttered aisles and stores forced to close by fire marshals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It was Christmas in May in the back room of a Michigan Dollar General last year. The clutter is one of the reasons that the Department of Labor labeled Dollar General a "severe violator" in March. In January, a Dollar General clerk was charged with manslaughter after police said he shot and killed an armed robber. Despite the problems on the ground, Dollar General continues to earn positive feedback from analysts on Wall Street. Do you work or shop at a Dollar General store or have a story to share?

Persons: —, They've, Alex Bitter, ProPublica, Corey Tarlowe Organizations: Service, Michigan, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, New York Times, Dollar, Midwest, Arizona, CNN, Wall, Walmart, Home, Jefferies Locations: Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Arizona

June 5 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has asked a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit by Republican-led states seeking to strike down a rule allowing socially-conscious investing by employee retirement plans. The states moved last month for a ruling permanently blocking the rule, which took effect Jan. 30. The Biden administration on Friday said the rule makes clear that retirement plans must base decisions primarily on financial factors. But unlike the Trump-era rule, it also recognizes that issues such as climate change and social justice can impact companies' long-term financial health, the Justice Department said. The judge in March rejected the Biden administration's claim that the states were improperly "judge shopping" by filing the lawsuit in Amarillo, where Kacsmaryk is the only judge.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Sean Reyes, John Scott, Joe Biden, Matthew Kacsmaryk, Donald Trump, Kacsmaryk, Daniel Wiessner, Alexia Garamfalvi Organizations: Republican, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Department of Labor, Trump, Justice Department, Interim Texas, Congress, District, Biden, Thomson Locations: Amarillo , Texas, Utah, Texas, U.S, Amarillo, Albany , New York

☆ Childcare is about to get even more expensive at the end of September unless Congress acts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal funding helped keep more than 200,000 childcare providers afloat in recent years. Unless Congress acts, many parents could face even higher childcare costs. During the pandemic, Congress provided over $52 billion to states to support the childcare system, which helped 220,000 childcare providers stay afloat, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. "The American Rescue Plan provided critical funding that made child care available to millions of children and allowed child care programs throughout our country to stay open. Providing states additional childcare funding could be an uphill battle.

Persons: —, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Cindy Lehnhoff, Sanders, they've, Louisiana Sen, Bill Cassidy Organizations: Service, Department of Health, Human Services, Department, Labor, National Association for, Education of Young, National, Association, Office Locations: America, Louisiana

☆ A New Jersey restaurant had to pay $300,000 to staff after the Labor Department ruled they had been underpaid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A New Jersey restaurant failed to give some staff the minimum wage and overtime pay, the DOL said. The restaurant paid more than $300,000 to 63 members of staff following the DOL's investigation. The DOL's Wage and Hour Division said in a press release that Aquarius Restaurant Group, which runs Aquarius Seafood Restaurant in Fort Lee, had violated minimum wage and overtime pay laws. Aquarius Seafood Restaurant also used checks and cash to pay kitchen staff twice a month, the spokesperson said. They added that the minimum wage violations occurred "sporadically" throughout the period of investigation, which was from April 2019 to April 2022.

Persons: DOL, —, Paula Ruffin Organizations: Service, Department of Labor Locations: Jersey, Fort Lee, New Jersey

☆ The Most Expensive and Most Affordable Cities for Childcare in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Jeremy Ney | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The most expensive counties generally have fewer childcare workers or the state doesn't provide enough financial support for low-income families. The US Department of Health and Human Services considers childcare "affordable" if it costs less than 7% of a family's income. The pandemic provided a perfect example of this dynamic: 2 million women left the workforce and haven't returned, citing childcare costs as the No. Counties with higher levels of poverty often lack affordable care as childcare workers themselves can't afford to live on the industry's low wages. In Canada, where childcare workers make more, that ratio is six to one.

Persons: haven't, It's, Joe Biden, doesn't, Annie Lowrey, Grant, Jeremy Ney Organizations: Department of Labor, US Department of Health, Human Services, New, Bay State, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US, Preschool, America, Federal Reserve Bank of New Locations: Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York City, America, Kings County, Brooklyn, Queens County, Bronx County, Bronx, Bay, While Massachusetts, California, . Mississippi, New York, Canada, Portland , Oregon, Portland, Michigan, The, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ A ‘pleasant’ surprise: Strong job numbers, low layoffs show no ‘major indicators’ of a recession, economists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Jennifer Liu | In Jljenniferliu | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Job openings were up and layoffs were down in April, shutting down fears that a recent rise in job cuts could be the start of a growing trend. Openings increased to 10.1 million last month, up from 9.6 million in March, according to the Department of Labor's latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report. Opportunities are growing across retail trade; health care and social assistance; and transportation, warehousing and utilities. And 6.1 million people were hired into new jobs, on par with the previous month. It's still a favorable job market to applicants and workers, she says, with "very little to indicate the labor market is cooling off."

Persons: Elise Gould Organizations: Department, Labor, Economic, Institute, CNBC

☆ Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill rolling back child labor laws in response to business owner complaints over labor shortages. Iowa's unemployment rate was under 3% last month.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill rolling back child labor protections. The bill is one of many targeting child labor laws across the nation, signed largely by GOP governors. Businesses have increasingly reported labor shortages since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 1,127,000 Americans since 2020, according to the World Health Organization. The Iowa Governor's decision to roll back child labor laws is an apparent response to business owners who say they cannot find enough workers. Arkansas' unemployment rate was 2.8%, New Hampshire's was 2.1%, and New Jersey's was 3.5% — the only state that has recently rolled back child labor protections with a higher average than the nationwide 3.4% unemployment rate.

☆ Staff at several Subway stores in San Francisco missed out on $265,000 of wages after the franchisee gave them checks that bounced, Labor Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Bay Area Subway franchisee paid staff more than $265,000 in bounced checks, the DOL said. The stores also violated child-labor laws, kept tips, and got staff to falsify records, a DOL investigation said. Between July 26 and December 26, 2022, alone, 297 checks bounced from just one bank account belonging to one of Meza's businesses, a DOL investigator said in a declaration. The investigation by the DOL's Wage and Hour Division covered 14 franchise stores in total, but the department did not say how many had given bad checks to staff. Meza's business associate also threatened to file a false police report against two 15-year-old employees who asked for their unpaid wages, the DOL wrote in the lawsuit.

☆ A Whataburger in Texas fired a nursing mother for leaving the restaurant to express breast milk, the Labor Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Texas Whataburger didn't provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk, the DOL said. When the nursing mother left the premises to express milk, the company fired her, the DOL said. Employers have to give staff reasonable break time to express milk for a year after the child's birth. The corporate-owned restaurant in Lubbock, northwest Texas, failed to provide reasonable break time for the employee to express breast milk, the DOL said. And when she did leave the premises to express milk, the company terminated her, the DOL said.

For now, tech companies seem to view both trust and safety and AI ethics as cost centers. That included all but one member of the company's 17-person AI ethics team, according to Rumman Chowdhury, who served as director of Twitter's machine learning ethics, transparency and accountability team. Chowdhury referenced an initiative in July 2021, when Twitter's AI ethics team led what was billed as the industry's first-ever algorithmic bias bounty competition. Still, sources familiar with the matter said that following the layoffs, the company has fewer people working on misinformation issues. watch nowFor those who've gained expertise in AI ethics, trust and safety and related content moderation, the employment picture looks grim.

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