Labor Dept. Extends 'Full Protection of the Federal Non-Discrimination Laws' to Transgendered

    Labor Department Secretary Tom Perez has taken the occasion of the final day of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month as proclaimed by President Obama to clarify that his department provides the "full protection of the federal non-discrimination laws that we enforce to transgender individuals." Perez cites a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ruling in 2012 that found that the protections secured under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 apply to transgender individuals. Perez continues [emphasis added]:

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Civil Rights Center, along with the Employment and Training Administration, will issue guidance to make clear that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is discrimination based on sex.  While the department has long protected employees from sex-based discrimination, its guidance to workers and employers will explicitly clarify that this includes workers who identify as transgender. The department will continue to examine its programs to identify additional opportunities to extend the law’s full protection against discrimination to transgender workers.

    Perez said that to have the strongest workforce and economy, the country must "embrace diversity to its fullest."  The Labor Department joins, among others, the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the celebration of LGBT Pride month. This year's celebrations have reflected a special emphasis on "transgender rights" by the Obama administration.

Note: A version of this post first appeared at The Weekly Standard.

Labor Dept.: $64M in Grants For 'Personalized, Re-employment Plans' For Unemployed

    The Labor Department announced Monday the awarding of $64 million in grants to help unemployment insurance recipients find work more quickly.  The funds will be divided up between thirty-eight states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.  Acting Labor Secretary Seth Harris announced the awards:

"The grants announced today will help individuals and families facing unemployment get back to work quickly," said acting Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris. "This is a win-win-win for those looking for work, employers who want to pay less taxes and states struggling to control their budgets."

    The grants fund programs that focus directly on matching individuals and their career interests with job availability in the local job market:

The funds will be used to provide UI beneficiaries with personalized, re-employment plans based on the claimant's career interests and local labor market information. These assessments are done in-person and participants will receive referrals to re-employment services and/or training provided by the American Job Center. The program will also allow for a complete review of the claimants eligibility for UI benefits, to help reduce incidences of improper payments...
A recent report by Impaq International found strong evidence showing that re-employment and eligibility assessments expedite the return of the unemployed to the workforce.

   The five states receiving the most funds are: New York, $11,037,401; Florida, $7,146,196; Massachusetts, $4,280,176; Oregon, $3,693,193; and Ohio, $3,449,135.


Note: A version of this article first appeared at The Weekly Standard.

Labor Dept. App Contest: Identify Businesses Who Treat 'Their Workers Fairly and Lawfully'

    As the Department of Labor (DOL) celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act this year, the DOL is celebrating by sponsoring a Smartphone app contest to help consumers identify businesses who treat "their workers fairly and lawfully."  The DOL requests [emphasis added] that contestants

develop a smartphone application that will transform the way the public is able to use departmental enforcement data.  By providing consumers with information at their fingertips about which businesses have treated their workers fairly and lawfully, the creator of this application will help empower consumers to make informed choices about where to bring their business.

    According to the Labor Department, the finished product should integrate

the department's publicly available enforcement data with consumer ratings websites, geo-positioning Web tools, and other relevant data sets, such as those available from state health boards.

    Presumably the data incorporated into the app would consist only of past infractions for which the targeted businesses have already been cited and penalized.  The DOL seems to suggest the app could be used as something of a blacklist for job-seekers and other businesses:

The app could also prove a useful tool for job seekers and for companies that are deciding which firms they may want to do business with.  It could also help individuals get in touch with the Labor Department if they have any questions.

    The winner of the contest will be announced in November, and "the developer will meet with high-ranking government officials and private-sector entrepreneurs" during a complimentary trip to Washington D.C. for the awards ceremony.


Note: A version of this article first appeared at The Weekly Standard.

Labor Department: 'Faith-Based Argument for Raising the Minimum Wage'

    In his State of the Union address, President Obama proposed raising the minimum wage to $9.00/hour.   In support of this initiative, the White House has blogged about it and published a "fact sheet", as well.  Acting Secretary of Labor Seth Harris has even conducted a "minimum wage tour" to draw attention to the issue.  The latest salvo, however, comes from the director of the Labor Department’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.  Phil Tom has written an article on the Department of Labor's official blog entitled "The Faith-Based Argument for Raising the Minimum Wage":

In the faith community, we know and teach that how we treat the weakest among us – those most in need, and who are doing the right thing but still struggling – affects the well-being of us all. My agency, the Labor Department’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, works with leaders of many faiths to ensure that low-wage workers are treated equitably and with dignity. This includes receiving compensation that enables them to afford the basics, like rent, transportation, doctor visits and food...

The religions of the world teach that people should be treated with dignity and equity, and also that we’re all connected. Even those of no particular faith understand that we’re all in this together. Increasing pay for those at the bottom of the pay scale is an investment in workers’ dignity as well as an investment in our communities. 

    Mr. Tom also says that although readers "might even understand if I took a condescending and condemning tone, and blamed the greed of others for the struggles that so many hardworking Americans face," the bottom line is that the minimum wage is "good for the economy."


Note:  This article first appeared at The Weekly Standard.