Files suit against Montana ranch for violating law, illegally paying as little as $1.17 an hour
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced new guidance published today by the department’s Wage and Hour Division on important limitations on the payment of subminimum wages under Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act, which applies to certified employers otherwise authorized to pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities under specific requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Section 511 requires employers with a certificate under Section 14(c) of the FLSA to ensure that workers have received critical resources and information prior to and throughout the duration of employment at a subminimum wage. The timely provision of these resources and information helps maximize opportunities for workers to obtain competitive integrated employment. When employers fail to comply with the requirements of Section 511, they are required to pay workers the full federal minimum wage.
The new guidance, Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2022-4 “Enforcement of the Rehabilitation Act Section 511 Requirements for Workers with Disabilities in the Section 14(c) Program,” supplements Field Assistance Bulletin Nos. 2016-2 and 2019-1, Fact Sheet 39H and other materials designed to provide guidance on the provisions of Section 511 and the protections it offers workers in the Section 14(c) program. The new FAB reaffirms and provides assistance to stakeholders in determining compliance with...
FERNDALE, Wash. — On March 30, 2026, Merissa G. Saenz, 27, was sentenced in Whatcom County Superior Court after pleading guilty to malicious prosecution and entering an Alford plea to making a fal...