|
Quick Links |
|
|
"Highlights" items focus on newsworthy events sponsored by the
Department to strengthen the workforce and the business community.
|
|
December 2003 Occupational Safety &
Health Administration (OSHA) Web Site Receives "Best of the Web"
Recognition Both OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) were recognized for providing valuable Web
information relative to "Safety and Loss Control Services." To be eligible for
consideration, a Web site must provide relevant information or services to
Business Insurances audience of commercial risk and benefits management
professionals.
Tips for Employers on Safe and Sober
Office Parties With the holiday season upon us, employers may want
to consider their approach to workplace celebrations. DOL's
Working Partners for an Alcohol- and
Drug-Free Workplace program addresses steps employers can take to help
prevent impaired driving in their communities and send their employees a
safe and sober
message about office parties and drinking. |
|
|
November 2003 Secretary
Chao Interviewed on "Ask the White House" Web Chat Secretary Chao
answers questions from the American public about job growth and the
economy. |
|
|
October 2003 Department of Labor Web Site Helps
Businesses and Workers Benefit from Being Drug-Free The U.S.
Department of Labor recently revamped its Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free
Workplace Web site to better connect employers to valuable online
information and tools available to help them establish drug-free workplace
programs that protect worker safety and health, while improving productivity
and bottom-line profits.
Mine Safety
& Health Administration Announces Internet Filing of Forms The
Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced expanded Web site
services on its home page at www.msha.gov.
The site now allows mine operators, independent contractors and other mining
industry stakeholders to file required forms with the agency over the Internet.
As part of the federal governments e-gov initiative, mining
industry stakeholders will now see enhancements to forms previously available
and the option to provide required information directly to the agency at the
MSHA Web site.
Secretary of
Labor Announces Career Voyages Web Site Secretary Chao launched the
Career Voyages Web site at a High
School Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. The result of collaboration
between the Department of Labor and the Department of Education, the Web site
is part of a larger, more comprehensive effort to link the educational
community with the world of work.
DOL Releases Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years
2003-2008 Secretary Chao released the newly developed Department of
Labor Strategic Plan for 2003-2008. The plan updates the current strategic plan
and outlines the departments priorities for the next several years. The
new strategic plan demonstrates how the department will achieve its goals:
- A Prepared Workforce Enhance opportunities for
Americas workforce
- A Secure Workforce Promote the economic security of
workers and families
- A Quality Workplace Foster quality workplaces that are
safe, healthy and fair
- A Competitive Workforce Maintain competitiveness in the
21st century
|
|
|
August 2003 DOL Honors Unions for a Century
of Service to Workers Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is
a creation of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and
economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national
tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and
well-being of our country.
Opportunities
Conference September 24-25, 2003 Strengthening the
Economic Development of the Asian Pacific and Hispanic American Communities.
Women Entrepreneurship in
the 21st Century Summit September 23, 2003 Register here for
the summit to be held in Tampa, Florida.
Employers
Encouraged to Recognize Recovery Month in September President Bush
has proclaimed September 2003 the 14th Annual National Alcohol and Drug
Addiction Recovery Month, and businesses are encouraged to participate. This
month-long campaign highlights the significant strides made in substance abuse
treatment and educates that addiction to alcohol and other drugs is a chronic,
but treatable, public health problem that impacts all segments of society,
including the workplace. Learn more about ways employers can contribute Read
President Bush's Recovery Month Proclamation |
|
|
July 2003 New
Labor Department Web Site Can Help Millions Find Valuable Information on Health
Benefits DOL launches elaws Health
Benefits Advisor.
A Chartbook of
International Labor Comparisons: United States, Europe, and Asia
Focuses on the labor market situation in countries in the 1990s and the most
current year for which international comparable data are available.
|
|
|
May 2003
National
Moment of Remembrance Planned for Memorial Day Along with other
Americans, you are asked to spend a Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day,
Monday, May 26 at 3:00 p.m. local time (duration: one minute). The Moment does
not replace the traditional Memorial Day observances, but is intended to a be a
unifying act of remembrance for Americans of all ages. |
|
|
April 2003
Department of Labor Receives Top
Ranking in 4th Annual Government Performance Report In
its
4th
annual performance report scorecard,
George
Mason Universitys Mercatus Center recognized DOL for its
"transparency of communications with the general public, identification and
assessment of the public benefits it provides, and its leadership vision for
the future."
Department
of Labor Observes Worker Memorial Day OHSA celebrated Worker
Memorial Day on April 28 in order to honor those workers who lost their lives
making a living, supporting their families and contributing to their
communities.
Office of
Faith-Based & Community Initiatives Seeking Applicants for Grassroots and
Intermediary Grants President Bush's faith-based and community
initiative seeks to level the playing field in order to provide grassroots
organizations an equal opportunity to participate in existing federally funded
programs as they serve their communities. Look here for various faith-based grants from the
Employment & Training Administration
(ETA) and the Veterans' Employment & Training Service
(VETS).
OSHA
Conference Assists Employers with Workplace Emergency Preparedness
Planning An OSHA conference held in Denver titled Terrorism:
What Every Colorado Employer Should Know, drew approximately 400
participants including a number of first responders
employees of hospitals, law enforcement and emergency preparedness agencies.
OSHA
Effective Ergonomics: Strategy for Success OSHA has developed a new
comprehensive approach to ergonomics designed to quickly and effectively
address musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace. This approach
includes helping businesses, especially small businesses, proactively address
ergonomic issues in the workplace. OSHA also plans to develop
industry-or-task-specific guidelines for a number of industries based on
current incidence rates and available information about effective and feasible
solutions.
Employers Encouraged to
Participate in National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) National
Alcohol Screening Day (NASD) will be held April 10 as part of Alcohol Awareness
Month, and the Department of Labor's Working
Partners program is cooperating with program coordinator Screening for
Mental Health, Inc. to encourage employers across the country to participate.
Activities can take place throughout the month. NASD educates people about
alcohol use and its health effects by making confidential screening available
so that individuals can assess their own drinking habits and privately
determine whether they need help to change those habits.
Learn more about how
employers can participate. |
|
|
March 2003
Women Entrepreneurship in the 21st
Century ConferenceApril 3, 2003 Women business leaders, owners
and entrepreneurs nationwide are invited to this DOL-sponsored workshop in
Philadelphia.
Information for Military Reservists Called to
Active Duty (USERRA) Frequently asked questions for reservists from
the Employee Benefits Security Administration
(EBSA). |
|
|
February 2003
DOL Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2002:
Report on Performance and Accountability (PDF) This report, prepared
in accordance with the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000, presents the results
of the DOL's program and financial performance for FY 2002. The report features
the benefits accruing from DOLs New Partnerships for a New
Century, as DOL enlists the support of an ever widening network of
partners who share our commitment to bettering the lives of Americas
workers.
DOL E-Government
Strategic Plan Debut Secretary Chao electronically signed into
action the Department of Labor E-Government Strategic Plan on February 19. Chao
was joined by Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida and Mark Forman of the Office of
Management and Budget.
Department of Labor Budget for
Fiscal Year 2004 Secretary Chao announced details of the Department
of Labors Fiscal Year (FY)
2004 budget request. The budget includes increased funds to protect
Americans retirement funds, strengthen safety in the workplace, and help
more displaced workers find jobs.
Pension & Welfare Benefits
Administration Becomes Employee Benefits Security Administration The
DOL agency that administers private-sector retirement, health, and other
employer-based benefit programs for more than 150 million workers and their
families has been renamed the Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA). In 2002, more than 184,000 individuals contacted the
agency for assistance. |
|
|
January 2003
DOL Issues Rules on Disclosure of
Pension Plan Blackout Periods The Pension and Welfare
Benefits Administrations final rules implementing a new federal law
requiring 401(k) plans to give workers 30-day advance notice of blackout
periods when their rights to direct investments, take loans or obtain
distributions are suspended were published in the Federal Register on January
24. The final rules made public today supersede interim final rules issued by
the department on October 21, 2002.
Mining Deaths Drop to New Low in
2002 For the second consecutive year, fatal injuries at mines in the
U.S. declined to an historic new low, according to preliminary data released
January 2 by the Department of Labors Mine
Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
President
Calls on Congress to Extend Unemployment Benefits In a radio
address to the nation, President Bush asked for quick action from Congress to
extend unemployment benefits retroactively for about 750,000 Americans whose
benefits expired on December 28.
West Coast Ports Update An
injunction related to the Taft-Hartley Act was discharged on December 18, 2002,
after a proposed contract was agreed to by negotiators from the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union and the shipping industry's Pacific Maritime
Association.
|
|
| |
|