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☆ A 15-year-old suffered hot oil burns while using a deep fryer at a McDonald's restaurant in Tennessee, the Labor Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A 15-year-old McDonald's worker suffered hot oil burns while using a deep fryer, the DOL said. The DOL assessed a $3,258 civil penalty to the franchisee that operates the restaurant. The restaurant in Morristown, north-east Tennessee, had illegally allowed the minor to remove french fries from a hot oil deep fryer manually, the DOL said. The DOL assessed a $3,258 civil penalty for Faris Enterprises, the franchisee that operates the restaurant. The DOL assessed nearly $4.4 million in civil money penalties in 2022 related to violations of child labor laws.

☆ The Labor Department is suing a healthcare staffing agency, saying it made some workers sign contracts forcing them to repay part of their wages if they quit within 3 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A company told workers they'd have to pay high fees if they quit within three years, the Labor Department said. In a lawsuit against the agency, the DOL said one nurse was asked to pay $24,000 in future profits. Lawyers for the agency, ACS, said the DOL's suit is "unsupported by either the facts or the law." The DOL likened employees' wages to a loan that they may have to repay to the company alongside interest and fees. "To be clear, ACS has never demanded – and no nurse has ever repaid – their earned wages to ACS. "

Berkshire Hathaway vice president Gregory Abel bought nearly $25 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock last week, filings show. He previously bought $68 million worth of Berkshire stock in September. Berkshire's class A shares, and the "Baby Berkshire" class B shares, both have dropped about 3.4% this year, underperforming the S & P 500. Berkshire Hathaway vice chair Greg Abel bought $24.6 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock on March 17. Capri Holdings CEO John Idol bought nearly $10 million worth of stock on March 16.

☆ A church fired a worker who raised concerns after finding rats and spiders in the kitchen of its childcare center, the Labor Department said
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Texas church fired a worker who spoke to health authorities about pests in its daycare center, per OSHA. The worker said he'd spotted rats, roaches, and spiders in the facility's kitchen and cafeteria. OSHA ordered New Mount Zion Baptist Church to rehire him and pay him $31,000 in back wages and damages. The next day, the worker was told he was being terminated based on a vote by the church's board, per OSHA. In a preliminary order, OSHA told the church to reinstate the worker and pay him more than $11,000 in back wages and $20,000 in damages.

☆ Turkey cannot recover ancient 'Stargazer' idol from Christie's - U.S. court
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) - Turkey cannot recover a 6,000-year-old marble idol from Christie's and hedge fund billionaire Michael Steinhardt after waiting an unreasonably long time to claim it had been looted, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Turkey "had reason to know" by the 1990s that the "Guennol Stargazer" might have been wrongfully removed from its territory. Lawyers for Turkey, Christie's and Steinhardt did not immediately respond to requests for commentThe Stargazer is about nine inches (22.9 cm) tall, and named because its head tilts slightly upward toward the sky. Nathan was later elevated to the appeals court. Circuit Court of Appeals No.

☆ Biden is set to use his first veto to save what Republicans call a "woke" rule that lets retirement fund managers consider companies' social and environmental records
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Senate voted to overturn a Labor Department measure allowing investment managers to make socially and environmentally conscious investing decisions. "Republicans' hypocritical resolution to nullify @USDOL's ESG rule ties investors' hands & would force their extremist views on investors," she wrote on Twitter following the vote. It's the latest back-and-forth in an ESG debate triggered by former President Donald Trump, who prohibited financial managers from making such considerations when he was in office. However, the White House has said that Biden will use his first veto as president to protect ESG considerations. As CNBC's Brian Schwartz reported this week, Trump allies and wealthy donors have funded Republicans' fight against ESG investing.

U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. In the last fiscal year, 835 companies were found to have violated child labor laws. It has created an interagency task force on child labor, and plans to target industries where violations are most likely to occur for investigations. The Hearthside investigation is the latest in an uptick of similar probes. Reuters last year published a series of stories on child labor including revelations about the use of child labor among suppliers to Hyundai, including a direct subsidiary of the Korean auto giant, in the U.S. state of Alabama.

U.S. officials said the Labor Department had seen a nearly 70% increase in child labor violations since 2018, including in hazardous occupations. In the last fiscal year, 835 companies were found to have violated child labor laws. It has created an interagency task force on child labor, and plans to target industries where violations are most likely to occur for investigations. The Hearthside investigation is the latest in a rise in similar probes. Reuters last year published a series of stories on child labor including revelations about the use of child labor among suppliers to Hyundai, including a direct subsidiary of the Korean auto giant, in the U.S. state of Alabama.

☆ Biden administration to crack down on child labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

More than 3,800 children were found to be working at U.S. companies last year in violation of federal law, the Labor Department said Monday in announcing a crackdown on child labor. Some 835 companies were founded to be illegally employing minors last year, the Labor Department said, and more than 600 child labor investigations remain ongoing. In stepping up its efforts to target companies that use child labor, the Labor Department will use new strategies to launch investigations where child labor violations are most likely to occur. The agency called on Congress to increase the maximum penalty for child labor violations, which is currently $15,000. "That's not high enough to be a deterrent for major profitable companies," the Labor Department said in a press release.

☆ Sanitation company accused of employing children as young as 13 for 'hazardous' work hired the same child twice
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Britney Nguyen | Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A sanitation company that paid $1.5 million in penalties after being accused of employing children hired one child twice, NBC News reports. The child was hired under two different identities in six months, per NBC News, citing an internal report. The company confirmed to Insider that it demoted the employee who hired the child. "We have been crystal clear that we do not want a single person under the age of 18 working for the company," Swenson said. In its filing, the department accused the company of employing at least 102 children ages 13 to 17 in "hazardous occupations."

☆ 4 Florida restaurants with the same owner had to give over $250,000 of back pay to staff after the Department of Labor said they only paid servers tips
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Four Florida restaurants were ordered to pay $253,044 to 93 workers following an investigation. The DOL said the restaurants didn't pay wages to servers or pay other workers overtime. According to court filings viewed by Insider, the restaurants were asked to pay back wages for a period of around three years and 10 months. Tipped workers, like servers, have to take home at least $7.98 an hour in pay from the restaurant, with the rest made up in tips. The four Florida restaurants paid staff straight time for all hours worked, the DOL said.

☆ Sanitation company pays $1.5 million penalty for hiring children for 'hazardous' factory work like cleaning beef bone saws, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US Labor Department filed a complaint against PSSI following a three-month investigation into unlawful child labor claims in November. PSSI was charged $1.5 million in penalties as a result of the investigation, officials said. The department accused the sanitation contractor of having employees as young as 13 working "hazardous" overnight shifts. The DOL filed a complaint seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction against the food safety sanitation service following its investigation. The company added that no children are currently employed, and many hadn't worked for the business in years.

☆ Federal officials find more than 100 children working in dangerous jobs for slaughterhouse cleaning firm
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Laura Strickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Packers Sanitation Services has paid a $1.5 million fine for the violations. The Labor Department says the children who were working overnight shifts used "caustic chemicals to clean razor-sharp saws." "Our investigation found Packers Sanitation Services' systems flagged some young workers as minors, but the company ignored the flags. The company signed a consent decree in December with the Labor Department and agreed to abide by child labor laws after federal investigators documented 50 children working at slaughterhouses for it. The compliance specialist will conduct child labor audits, which will be shared with the Labor Department for three years.

☆ An Ohio restaurant 'forced' servers to work 60 hours a week for just $10 in wages plus tips, the Department of Labor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Mexican restaurant in Ohio paid its servers just $10 a week plus tips, a DOL investigation found. Servers were "forced" to cash their paychecks then pay their wages back in cash, the DOL said. They were only allowed to keep tips plus $20 per two-week pay period, the DOL said. Servers, who worked an average of 60 hours a week, were only allowed to keep the tips they earned plus $20 per two-week pay period, the DOL said. The restaurant was ordered to pay $245,509 in back wages to six servers and 12 cooks.

☆ As his beliefs have seeped into homes and classrooms, children as young as 11 think Andrew Tate is their 'god'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Lindsay Dodgson | Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Insider spoke with teachers and parents about how Tate's beliefs are seeping into young boys' minds. Insider spoke with seven teachers who said Tate's words and beliefs have significantly impacted their students — some as young as 11 years old. Many young boys are drawn in by this promise of personal development. Mary McCarthy, a mother of four from Dublin, told Insider that Tate seems to have an "intoxicating" effect on her 14-year-old son. Speaking to the BBC, Nia Williams, a psychologist and academic, addressed why so many young boys get "sucked in" by Tate's image.

☆ If you're a gig worker, your boss might be using a technicality to underpay you
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Madison Hoff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Many workers are classified by employers as independent contractors, rather than employees. The Biden administration has proposed a rule making it easier for gig workers to be counted as employees. NELP finds that 10% to 30% of employers — and potentially more — misclassify workers as independent contractors, "which indicates that several million workers nationally may be misclassified." Truck drivers misclassified as independent contractors may lose between $11,076 and $18,053, according to EPI's estimates. The Biden administration is taking aim at misclassification, hoping to crack down on it and offer an easier pathway for independent contractors to be considered employees.

Harris, the former American Idol contestant whose soulful voice wowed the judges and whose sweet demeanor won him legions of fans, has died of an apparent heart attack. Harris was an incredible talent, and the news of his passing deeply saddens us," a statement posted on American Idol's official Instagram page read. Harris told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2014 interview that his mother was his first musical influence. It wasn't until 2014 that Harris made his musical mark when he placed sixth in American Idol's 13th season. "You sing because you have to sing, not because you want to sing," Urban told Harris.

☆ A restaurant in Oregon threatened to fire servers who didn't surrender their cash tips, a Labor Department investigation found
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A restaurant in Oregon said it would fire servers who didn't surrender their cash tips, a DOL investigation found. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA sushi restaurant in Oregon threatened to fire servers who didn't surrender their cash tips, an investigation by the Department of Labor found. The DOL's Wage and Hour Division found that Bonsai Teriyaki and Sushi in Medford, southwest Oregon, had collected and withheld cash and credit card tips earned by seven servers, and "warned them they'd be fired if they failed to surrender cash tips." This violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, which stipulates that employers are not allowed to keep staff tips "under any circumstances." In addition, Bonsai Teriyaki and Sushi failed to pay overtime wages to four cooks and sushi chefs, the DOL said.

☆ A North Carolina restaurant has been ordered to pay $157,287 to staff after failing to give them their tips
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A North Carolina restaurant has been ordered to give back pay to staff after failing to give them their tips. The restaurant has been ordered to pay $157,287 to 65 staff, the Department of Labor said. "Tips are the property of the worker and, under no circumstances, may employers keep any part of their employees' tips." It ordered the company to pay a $1,915 civil money penalty for these specific violations. Mugen also owns five other restaurants in North Carolina.

☆ Oil giant Exxon was ordered to reinstate 2 employees and pay $800,000 for illegally firing them after suspecting them of leaking information to the media
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Exxon Mobil fired two workers it suspected of leaking information to the WSJ, the DoL said. The company has been ordered to reinstate them and pay them $800,000 in back wages and damages. Employees had told the WSJ in 2020 they thought Exxon's growth plans in Texas were unrealistic. The company has been ordered to reinstate the employees and pay them $800,000 in back wages and damages, the DoL said. OSHA said that neither of the fired scientists were revealed as sources for the article.

In August, authorities accused Alexander City, Alabama-based SL Alabama in federal court of violating child labor laws. The action against SL Alabama, which supplies lights and mirrors for Hyundai and Kia assembly plants in the U.S. South, came following a July Reuters article that documented child labor practices at another auto parts supplier in the state, Hyundai-owned SMART Alabama LLC. SL Alabama agreed to implement new monitoring and training programs, the federal regulator said. "Our investigation found SL Alabama engaged in oppressive child labor," said Kenneth Stripling, DOL's Wage and Hours Division Director in Birmingham, Alabama, in the statement. Regulators said plant operators are accountable for child labor violations even when unauthorized employees are brought in by third-party recruiting firms.

☆ A Texas barbecue chain was ordered to pay $230,000 to workers after their tips were shared with managers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A chain of barbecue restaurants in Texas was ordered to pay $230,353 in back wages to employees. According to Wage and Hour Division investigators, employers kept employee tips for managers. The DOL's Wage and Hour Division is ordering Black's Barbecue restaurant to pay employees back, after illegally keeping tips from employees, according to a press release from the department. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers, managers, and supervisors are not allowed to keep employees' tips. Black's Barbecue restaurant operates Black's Barbecue Inc; Kent Black's Lockhart Barbecue Inc., and New Braunfels Barbecue LLC.

☆ Wells Fargo is paying $131.8 million to retirement-plan participants after an investigation found the plan overpaid for company stock
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-13 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wells Fargo is paying $131.8 million to 401(k) participants to settle a probe by the DOL. The DOL said it found that the plan overpaid for company stock purchased between 2013 and 2018. Wells Fargo said it "strongly disagrees" with the allegations. Wells Fargo and GreatBanc didn't admit or deny the allegations as part of the settlement, the DoL said, though Wells Fargo said in a statement Monday that it "strongly disagrees" with the allegations. The plan borrowed money from Wells Fargo to purchase the preferred stock between 2013 and 2018, the DoL found.

☆ Wells Fargo ordered to pay $22 million for firing an executive who spoke out about allegations of financial misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Wells Fargo has been ordered to pay $22 million for retaliating against an executive. Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for conduct, made outside of normal working hours. Wells Fargo operates an EthicsLine that staff can access via phone call or online to report possible fraudulent activities. The call center is staffed by third-party interview specialists, who write a summary report based on the call which they pass onto Wells Fargo. "Any information provided to the EthicsLine will be treated as confidential to the extent allowed by applicable law," Wells Fargo adds.

☆ A Hawaii restaurant group illegally shared $59,000 tips accumulated by 70 servers among managers, DOL says
▼ + stars: | 2022-07-07 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Hawaii restaurant group illegally shared $58,855 of servers' tips among managers, the DOL said. The 70 servers' tips were used to top up managers' salaries after the company cut them, per the DOL. The restaurant paid $117,710 in taken tips plus damages to the servers following the investigation. The DOL said DK Restaurant Group, which operates seafood, sushi, and steak restaurants in Hawaii, reduced managers' salaries by "at least" 25% when it reopened its locations after COVID-19 lockdown — then topped up managers' salaries using tips accumulated by 70 servers. Previous investigations by the DOL have found that other restaurants have committed similar FLSA violations by withholding servers' tips, including making them participate in illegal tip pools.

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