Tag: labor
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Whole Foods Offers Better Discounts for Slimmer, Healthier Employees
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey has announced to company employees that those meeting specific health-related criteria, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index, and smoking status, will be eligible for an increased store discount. According to the announcement, the company spent more than $150 million in 2009 on employee health care, and the company…
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OSHA Seeks Public Input on Workplace Health and Safety Issues; Meeting Scheduled
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a notice scheduling a public meeting February 10, 2010, in Washington, D.C., to consider a range of issues relating to workplace safety. According to the notice, OSHA will also establish a public docket as part of this initiative, which is “in keeping” with a presidential memorandum…
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Labor Secretary Initiates Peer Review of Diacetyl Health Risks
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the availability of its semiannual regulatory agenda, which includes plans to conduct a peer review of the health effects and risks associated with diacetyl in the workplace. According to DOL, “emerging hazards such as food flavorings containing diacetyl and airborne infectious diseases place American workers at risk of serious disease and…
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OSHA Plans Meetings to Discuss Combustible Dust Hazards
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a series of stakeholder meetings intended to address the “views, concerns, and issues surrounding the hazards of combustible dust,” which may be formed in workplaces that include agricultural and grain-handling industries, and factories that manufacture food, animal food, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. With…
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Litigation Could Foster Weight-Based Discrimination by Employers
According to a news source, employers may have more reason to avoid hiring overweight employees after a workers’ compensation board in Indiana and the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that employers must pay for weight-loss surgery if their obese employees suffer weight-related injuries on the job. With no laws banning employment discrimination against the obese, beyond…
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OSHA Plans New Rules Designed to Protect Workers from Combustible Dust
The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to solicit public feedback on issues related to the hazards of “combustible dust” in workplaces, including agricultural and grain handling industries, and factories that manufacture food, animal food, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. OSHA defines combustible dust as…
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Federal Appeals Court Sends Banana Plantation Torture Suit to Guatemala
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has determined that a district court did not abuse its discretion by deciding that the Alien Tort Claims Act and Torture Victim Protection Act claims of seven Guatemalan banana plantation workers would best be heard in a Guatemalan court. Aldana v. Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., No 07-15471…
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Poultry Plant Workers File Donning and Doffing Lawsuit
South Carolina poultry production line workers have reportedly sued their employer, claiming they are not paid for the time they spend donning and removing safety gear. According to a news source, the complaint alleges that this can extend a worker’s shift by some 75 minutes each day. The employees also alleged that they are required…