Next Week is 2021 Labor Rights Week

The U.S. Department of Labor is recognizing Labor Rights Week from August 30 to September 3, 2021.

During the week OSHA will be joining the US DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, and foreign embassies and their consulates to share information and educational materials to ensure workers are paid properly and kept safe on the job.

Many immigrant workers have performed essential duties throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Labor Rights Week is a collaborative effort to increase awareness and inform these workers of their rights, and employers of their responsibilities under U.S. labor laws.

We invite you to visit the Department of Labor’s 2021 Labor Rights Week webpage, which contains a toolkit with Labor Rights Week graphics, talking points, and other valuable information pertaining to safety and health and fair wages. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasp/labor-rights-week

Labor Rights Week provides an excellent opportunity for VPP Sites to conduct refresher training and communications about worker rights. VPP evaluations include an assessment of employee knowledge of their OSHA rights and responsibilities.

The VPP Team will ask management how they informed employees of their OSHA rights and responsibilities.

The VPP Team will also access if management verified employee comprehension of their OSHA rights and responsibilities. Participating in Labor Rights Week is a great way for VPP Sites to continuously improve employee knowledge about OSHA rights and responsibilities.

FYI – Questions F8, F9, and F10 are copied directly from Section I (Management Leadership & Employee Involvement) of the VPP evaluation report template.

• F8. Are the employees knowledgeable about OSHA rights and responsibilities? If not, please explain.

• F9. How were employees informed of the safety and health management system, VPP and OSHA rights and responsibilities? Please explain.

• F10. Did management verify employee’s comprehension of the site’s safety and health management system, VPP and OSHA rights and responsibilities?