In September, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a nationwide initiative to strengthen compliance in the landscape industry with the labor provisions of the H-2B temporary visa program. It was almost identical to a release issued the previous week targeting the hospitality industry. The compliance will focus on: Confirming an insufficient number of U.S. employees are qualified and available... read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is conducting a nationwide initiative to strengthen compliance with the labor provisions of the H-2B temporary visa program in the landscaping industry, in order to ensure compliance with federal wage laws. The initiative will provide compliance assistance tools and information to employers and stakeholders and include conducting investigations of... read more
PPM Outdoor in Kissimmee, Fla., has paid $55,345 to 40 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation found the employer violated overtime, minimum wage and record-keeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). “Simply paying workers a salary does not exclude them from overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours in a... read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued citations to SNS Lawn & Landscape Services, doing business as The Grounds Guys in Lancaster, Pa. The citations included two willful, five serious and one other-than-serious safety and health violations. OSHA proposed a penalty of $42,000. In August, a The Grounds Guys employee suffered a double toe amputation... read more
After a four-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found a New York landscaper’s death was “easily preventable” with proper equipment maintenance. The organization proposed a penalty of $70,000. “This worker’s death was easily preventable. The attachment and use of the required guard for the discharge chute would have kept this hazard from occurring... read more
The National Hispanic Landscape Alliance (NHLA) joined Bayou Lawn & Landscape Services, the National Association of Landscape Professionals, Superior Forestry and the Small and Seasonal Business Legal Center in filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The lawsuit asks... read more
