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U.S. Department of Labor | October 10, 2018
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor
today announced actions it is taking to assist Americans in states affected by
Hurricane Michael.
“The
Department of Labor is actively engaged in Administration-wide efforts to help
those impacted by Hurricane Michael,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander
Acosta. “As Americans come together to help each other, the Department of Labor
is committed to supporting recovery efforts.”
U.S. Department
of Labor actions taken regarding Hurricane Michael include the following:
· The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is prepared to provide Disaster
Dislocated Worker Grants to help affected states assess workforce needs. The
disbursement of funds will be determined as needs are assessed by state and
local partners. ETA is assisting in administering Disaster
Unemployment Assistance.
·
The Employee
Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) is coordinating with other
federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Internal
Revenue Service, and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, on the release
of compliance guidance for employee benefit plans, and plan participants and
beneficiaries, in the wake of Hurricane Michael.
· The Office of Federal Contract Compliance
Programs (OFCCP) is
prepared to temporarily suspend select federal contractor requirements, allowing
businesses involved in hurricane relief the ability to prioritize recovery
efforts.
· The Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) is responding to Hurricane Michael’s impact on mines, and stands ready
to respond more generally with specialized equipment and personnel.
· The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) is working with its
grantees to identify flexibility and additional funding needs for its programs.
VETS staff is prepared to offer assistance to employers, members of the
National Guard and Reserves, and members of the National Disaster Medical
System and Urban Search and Rescue service who may be deployed in support of
rescue and recovery operations.
· The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will be prioritizing all calls
in the affected areas to continue to provide uninterrupted service to workers
and employers.
· The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) issued a special
enforcement advisory that would temporarily ease reporting and other regulatory
burdens on labor organizations, labor relations consultants, and employers affected
by Hurricane Michael.
· The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is actively engaged with the
Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Administration,
Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies and is
prepared to provide assistance.
o Most OSHA programmed enforcement
actions will cease in the affected areas and compliance assistance will be
available during the recovery effort. OSHA will continue to respond to fatal
workplace and life altering injuries.
o OSHA is actively engaged with the
intergovernmental response.
· Public Service Announcements – in
English and Spanish – have been prepared for broadcast emphasizing the need to
work safely in affected areas during recovery efforts. Other hurricane recovery
safety materials are available at OSHA.gov.
The
Department will continue to monitor developments regarding Hurricane Michael
and take additional actions as necessary. For additional information, please
visit the Department’s Severe Storm and
Flood Recovery Assistance webpage.
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Media Contacts:
Megan Sweeney, 202-693-4676, sweeney.megan.p@dol.gov
Release Number: 18-1654-NAT
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