Thursday, September 12, 2013

Department of Labor Stresses Right to Safety and Work-Life Balance

KRA Corporation looks at recent agreements between the DOL and two large corporations in separate policy compliance disputes.


Policy watchdogs are a vital component of ensuring the overall safety of U.S. workers and that get those types of protections beyond receiving a paycheck that help them return to their homes and families.


It is why KRA Corporation was heartened to see and applauds the Department of Labor (DOL) whose recent efforts regarding policy compliance settlements on behalf of the U.S. workforce came to fruition.


Two different DOL offices came to agreements with two large corporations—T.G.I. Fridays and Wal-Mart—whose practices were found in breach of separate policy compliances.


The DOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced that the restaurant chain T.G.I. Fridays, will change its leave policy when an investigation found the popular restaurant was in violation of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).


Laura Fortman, WHD’s principal deputy administrator, stated: “Workers should not have to choose between their job, and the family members who need their care.” She added: “ensuring a work-life balance is the cornerstone of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which has been the law of the land for 20 years.”


Creating strong communities is at the base of our efforts to aid workforce development and the workers that make it up, so KRA Corporation understands the importance of a stable family unit and we applaud these agencies’ steps


The DOL was also instrumental in getting Walmart to agree to sign a corporate-wide settlement for a 2011 health and safety enforcement resolution. All 2,857 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores under Federal jurisdiction are affected with the settlement addressing specific safety and health conditions.


The settlement prompted Dr. David Michaels, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Assistant Secretary of Labor, to say: “We hope this sends a strong message that the law requires employers to provide safe working conditions, and OSHA will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that all employers follow the law.”


KRA Corporation trusts that these and future DOL actions regarding safety and health  are something that will promote and then sustain a culture of safety in the U.S. workforce. With what both employers and employees potentially lose, the issue of worker safety cannot be overly stressed.


The DOL’s efforts are proof that it remains watchful and continues to take its mandate of providing workers opportunities while protecting them. KRA Corporation remains supportive of these efforts for as long as they work toward the U.S. workforce’s safety and financial well being.

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