Tag Archives: United States Department of Labor

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did you hear the great news ?


National Women's Law Center - Don't Discount Women: Demand Fair Change Not Spare Change
Millions of home-care workers who tirelessly care for seniors and people with disabilities will be protected by the basic wage and hour protections guaranteed under federal law! Under the long-awaited rules issued today, these workers — 9 in 10 of whom are women — will receive basic protections like minimum wage and overtime pay.
Please join us in thanking Secretary of Labor Tom Perez — and urge him to take the next step towards equal pay by releasing a new tool to collect pay information from federal contractors.
Today’s news shows just how much women workers need the Department of Labor to continue to push for more protections for women workers. Here’s why:

  • According to the new U.S. Census numbers released today, women and families are struggling to keep their heads above water. More than one in seven women, nearly 17.8 million, lived in poverty in 2012. And poverty rates were particularly high for women of color and women who head families.
  • The wage gap between men and women is still stuck at 77 cents, despite important laws that prohibit pay discrimination.

Collecting pay information from federal contractors would make it easier to enforce laws that prohibit discrimination.

  • A compensation data toll would help individuals like Lilly Ledbetter and Betty Dukes — women who fought for fair pay against some of the largest employers in the United States. Women like them shouldn’t have to go at it alone.
  • Since 2006, the federal government has had NO tool that effectively monitors wage discrimination based on race, national origin and gender by private employers. As a result, our tax dollars could be going to federal contractors who don’t pay women fairly.

Enough is enough. Today’s victory was an important step for women workers, but we still have a lot to do!
Please take action today by contacting the Department of Labor. It only takes a minute.
Thanks for pushing forward!
Sincerely,
Joan Entmacher  Joan Entmacher Vice President, Family Economic Security National Women’s Law Center     Fatima Goss Graves Fatima Goss Graves Vice President for Education and Employment National Women’s Law Center
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the weekly share


 

We Dare You To Look At This And Tell Us Chained CPI Isn’t A Social Security Cut
Do you recognize any of these?

The Top 5 Hate Tactics Used To Get People To Freak Out About Immigration
A guy eating a donut is going to explain it to you. WARNING: You might really want a donut after this. And a double-order of justice. WATCH:

What One Thing Is Key To Turning The Table On Every Injustice In America?
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The Other Washington ~~~


Information about the federal sequester

Updated March 14, 2013

There are two primary questions being asked related to the federal sequester:

  1. Do federally funded employees who are furloughed qualify for unemployment benefits?
  2. Are unemployment benefits affected by the sequester?

Questions about sequester-related furloughs

Q. I’m being put on temporary leave without pay (furloughed). Am I eligible for unemployment benefits for the time I’m off?
A. It depends on how the furlough is implemented. You would have to be unemployed for most or all of a week (Sunday through Saturday) in order to be eligible for benefits – assuming you meet other eligibility requirements. However, if you normally work full-time and your hours are reduced by one work day in a week, you will not be eligible for benefits because you still earn too much in that week to be eligible.
  NOTE: We decide eligibility on a case-by-case basis. Anyone has the right to apply for benefits and claim weekly benefits. When we have all the facts, we will determine eligibility.
Q. Will I get paid for every week I file a claim?
A. The first time you file your weekly claim and are eligible to receive benefits will be considered a “waiting week.” You will not be paid benefits for your waiting week. If you go off and on unemployment benefits more than once during your benefit year, you will not have to serve another waiting week during this unemployment claim.
Q. How much money would I get in unemployment benefits?
A. You can estimate your weekly benefit amount on our website. If you’re furloughed for only part of a week, use the earnings deduction chart to see if the reduction in your gross weekly pay makes you eligible for any benefits.
Q. Do I have to look for work if I am waiting to go back to work with my employer?
A. In general, you are required to look for work unless we tell you otherwise.

Some possible exceptions:

  • If you are temporarily unemployed because of a lack of work, but you expect to return to work with your regular employer, you may qualify for “standby.” You must have a definite or probable return-to-work date within a reasonable amount of time. If we approve you for standby, you do not have to look for work, but you must be available for all hours of work offered by your regular employer. These weeks do not have to be consecutive.
  • If you were hired to work full-time and you are still working each week, but your hours have been temporarily reduced, you may qualify for partial unemployment benefits (see the previous question}. To meet this requirement and to have your work-search waived, your weekly hours may be reduced by no more than 60 percent, and you must return to full-time work within four months.

Questions about the sequester and unemployment benefits

Q. Will unemployment benefits be cut as a result of the sequester?
A. The sequester does not affect “regular” unemployment benefits, which are paid with state funds. Regular unemployment benefits pay up to 26 weeks of benefits.
  However, Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) will be affected.  
  At this time, we are working with the federal Department of Labor to understand how and when the cuts will be applied to the benefits. We will communicate directly with benefit recipients when we have the answers. 
Q. Do you plan to halt EUC benefit payments?
A. We have no intention of stopping payments to EUC claimants.
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the Other Washington ~~


English: The top of the Space Needle in Seattl...
English: The top of the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington Deutsch: Turmkorb und Spitze der Space Needle, in Seattle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Find layoff and closure information on Washington state employers.

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) act requires companies with 100 or more employees to notify affected workers 60 days prior to closures and layoffs.

Read the WARN requirements.   Click on layoff notices (WARN)

WARN data include the name of the employer, business location, number of affected workers, type (layoff or closure) and effective date of layoff or closure. The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration has more information about WARN.

NOTE: Employment Security recently changed the server address for the WARN RSS feeds. If you previously subscribed but haven’t received updates lately, please update your RSS reader to point to the new URL above.

Sign up for RSS and receive WARN information in your feed reader as soon as it is published on Employment Security’s Web site.

Sign up for the WARN listserv and receive WARN information by email as soon as it is published on Employment Security’s Web site.

The date Employment Security receives a WARN notice (right-hand column) determines the order in which the information is displayed. You can change the results shown in each column by clicking on the column heading.

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Presidential Proclamation — Blind Americans Equality Day, 2012

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The White House
Disability UpdatesNote: If you received this email as a forward but would like to be added to the White House Disability Group email distribution list, please visit our website at http://www.whitehouse.gov/disability-issues-contact and fill out the “contact us” form in the disabilities section, or you can email us at disability@who.eop.gov and provide your full name, city, state, and organization.

Recent disability announcements include the President proclaiming October 15, 2012, as Blind Americans Equality Day, the Department of Labor launching a virtual Workplace Flexibility Toolkit, the Federal Communications Commission putting internet closed captions rules into effect, and the Department of Education awarding $24 million in grant funding to 22 states to improve training systems to help children with disabilities.

Presidential Proclamation — Blind Americans Equality Day, 2012

As business leaders and public advocates, teachers and scientists, musicians and athletes, and in countless other ways, blind and visually impaired Americans have profoundly enriched every part of our national life. Today, we celebrate their innumerable contributions, and we recommit to guaranteeing equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for all Americans.

Read the full text of the proclamation at the following link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/10/15/presidential-proclamation-blind-americans-equality-day-2012

US Department of Labor launches virtual Workplace Flexibility Toolkit during National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched its online Workplace Flexibility Toolkit to provide employees, job seekers, employers, policymakers and researchers with information, resources and a unique approach to workplace flexibility. Workplace flexibility policies and practices typically focus on when and where work is done. The toolkit adds a new dimension — an emphasis on flexibility around job tasks and what work is done. Funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy in partnership with the department’s Women’s Bureau, the toolkit makes more than 170 resources easily accessible

Read more about the toolkit at the following link: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20122014.htm#.UHwpRMU712w

Federal Communications Commission Internet Closed Captioning Rules Went Into Effect September 30

Rules requiring distributors of certain Internet video programming to provide closed captioning to assist viewers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing went into effect on September 30. Closed captioning is the visual display of the audio portion of video programming. These Internet closed captioning requirements were implemented pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).

Read more about the new rules at the following link: http://www.fcc.gov/document/internet-closed-captioning-rules-went-effect-september-30

$24 Million in Grants Awarded to 22 States to Improve Training Systems to Help Children with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education announced the award of $24 million in grants to 22 states to improve personnel training systems to help children with disabilities. States receiving grants are: Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The State Personnel Development Grants Program, authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provides funds to assist states in reforming and improving their systems for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention, education and transition services in order to enhance results for children with disabilities.

Read more about the grant awards at the following link: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/24-million-grants-awarded-22-states-improve-training-systems-help-children-disab