November 2005
Tips for Employers on Safe and Sober Workplace Parties
With the holiday season upon us, employers may want to consider their approach to workplace celebrations. DOL's Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace program outlines steps employers can take to help prevent impaired driving in their communities and send their employees a safe and sober message about workplace parties and drinking.

Medicare — Five Simple Steps: "A National Day of Conversation — Friends and Family First" (PDF)

New Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Plan Begins January 1, 2006

PandemicFlu.gov Offers Information for Workers on Pandemic Flu and Avian Influenza

FY 2005 Annual Report on Performance & Accountability

October 2005
Comment Period Open for Use of or Impairment From Alcohol and Other Drugs on Mine Property Rulemaking

DOL Awards $125 million in Competition for the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants
On October 19, 2005, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $125 million to 70 community colleges competing for the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants.

First introduced by President Bush in his 2004 State of the Union Address, Community-Based Job Training Grants support workforce training for high growth industries through the nation's community and technical colleges. Projects receiving funding cover industries ranging from health care and construction to advanced manufacturing and energy.

The 70 grants will fund projects in 40 states.

September 2005
e-Judication on the Web: Enabling a Transparent DOL Adjudicatory/Legal Process
DOL has launched the e-Judication Initiative, an e-Government effort that will create a comprehensive citizen-focused IT solution at the Office of the Solicitor (SOL) and the four adjudicatory agencies: the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ), the Administrative Review Board (ARB), the Benefits Review Board (BRB), and the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (ECAB).

New Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Plan Begins January 1, 2006

Keeping Workers Safe During Clean Up and Recovery Operations Following Hurricanes

Employers Encouraged to Recognize Recovery Month in September
September 2005 is the 16th Annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month celebration, and businesses across the country are encouraged to participate. This month-long campaign educates that achieving recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction is a collective effort requiring the participation of all sectors of society, including the workplace. Learn more about ways employers can contribute.

July 2005
Secretary Chao Announces $7 Million Grant to Train Alaskan Workers for Energy Industry Careers
Secretary Chao was in Anchorage, Alaska to announce a $7 million grant to the Alaska Department of Labor & Workforce Development to increase the state's capacity to recruit and train workers for careers in the energy industry. The grant is the first in a series of investments the Labor Department will make in the energy sector under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. Secretary Chao was joined for the announcement at the University of Alaska-Anchorage campus by U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

New Drug-Free Workplace Poster Available from U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Working Partners Program
DOL’s Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace Program now offers a free poster that may be displayed to emphasize the importance of working drug free. The poster is applicable across industries and employment environments, stating, “A safe, healthy and drug-free workplace is everyone’s business. Thanks for making it yours.” It can be downloaded and printed on standard-size paper or ordered by contacting Working Partners. Download or order the Working Partners poster.

June 2005
DOL's Peer Review Agenda
On December 15, 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued its Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review. The Bulletin provides for agencies to peer review certain types of information before the information is disseminated to the public. In addition, the Bulletin provides for agencies to post a peer review agenda on their Web site by June 16, 2005, and update it at least every six months.

May 2005
U.S. Labor Department Announces Interim Final Regulations for Energy Workers Compensation Program
Secretary Chao announced today that the Department of Labor (DOL) has met the deadline to establish regulations for the newly created Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA).

DOL Announces Availability of $125 Million in Grant Funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants
On May 3, 2005, DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announced in the Federal Register the availability of approximately $125 million in grant funds for Community-Based Job Training Grants. Funds will be awarded to support capacity building and workforce training for high growth industries through the national system of community and technical colleges. Read a copy of the solicitation and learn more about the Community Based Job Training Grants.

ETA hosted three virtual prospective applicant conferences. View the archived Community-Based Job Training Grants prospective applicant conferences.

April 2005
Statement of U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao On the Death of His Holiness Pope John Paul II

Employers Encouraged to Recognize Alcohol Awareness Month in April
April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace program is encouraging employers around the country to participate by educating employees about alcohol use and its related health issues. Sponsored each year by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), the goal of National Alcohol Awareness Month is to encourage all sectors of local communities, including business and industry, to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues and help educate that alcoholism is a treatable disease. Learn more about how employers can participate.

March 2005
Rankings Reveal Construction and Mining Have Highest Percentage of Problem Drinkers
Rankings of industry-based problem drinking patterns recently released by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems reveal that construction and mining have the highest numbers of problem drinkers. The rankings are based on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and were computed using the Alcohol Cost Calculator for Business, which helps employers understand alcohol's impact and how they can help employees obtain alcohol treatment. DOL's Working Partners program also educates about positive action employers can take to address drug use — including alcohol abuse — by implementing drug-free workplace programs that encourage and assist workers with related problems to seek help. Learn more about the rankings.

2004 DOL FAIR Act Inventory of Commercial Activities
Under the Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act of 1998 (FAIR Act), federal agencies must develop an annual inventory of all commercial activities performed by federal employees, e.g., those activities that are not inherently governmental. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reviews each agency's commercial activities inventory and consults with the agency on inventory content. After OMB has completed its review and consultation, the agency must make its inventory available to the public.

Secretary Chao Announces New USERRA Notice of Rights and Benefits
Secretary Chao today announced that a notice in poster format explaining the rights of employees under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is now available for employers to download from the DOL Web site.

• Read the news release.

DOL Releases FY 2004 Progress Report: E-Government Act of 2004

February 2005
Department of Labor Unveils Web Site Providing Details of the Administration's Single Employer Defined Benefit Reform Proposal: Site Consolidates Budget Documents and Other Official Materials