Articles on workplace-related issues from newspapers and Internet news sources around the country. Updated daily. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php When federal immigration agents raided the kosher meatpacking plant here in May and rounded up 389 illegal immigrants, they found more than 20 under-age workers, some as young as 13. Now those young immigrants have begun to tell investigators about their jobs. Some said they worked shifts of 12 hours or more, wielding razor-edged knives and saws to slice freshly killed beef. Some worked through the night, sometimes six nights a week. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9591 About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9590 The struggling economy is hurting many Americans' mental health: Anxiety, depression, sleep problems and money-rooted marital conflicts are growing, experts around the USA say. Requests for therapists increased 15% to 20% in the past three months, "primarily driven by concerns about the financial situation," says Richard Chaifetz, chairman and CEO of ComPsych in Chicago, the nation's largest employee-assistance mental health program. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9589 Five high-ranking black police officers would share $2 million in a proposed settlement of their lawsuit alleging a long history of discrimination against black officers in the Minneapolis Police Department, sources familiar with the suit said Tuesday. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9587 Two hundred and eighty-four construction workers in the Bronx will receive a total of $1.23 million in back pay as part of a settlement over unpaid overtime, Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Monday. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9586 The presidents of several labor unions that quit the A.F.L.-C.I.O. three years ago have been quietly meeting with union presidents in the federation to coordinate their political operations and message for the fall election, a move that labor leaders say could lead to several of the unions rejoining the federation. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9585 It should surprise no one, at this point, that an arm of the Bush administration charged with protecting Americans' rights or safety is not doing its job. Even so, a government report and a Congressional hearing this week painted a disturbing picture of a Labor Department that simply is not standing up for workers. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9584 Family Responsibility Discrimination (FRD), discriminating against employees because of their need to care for children or elderly parents, is perhaps the fastest-growing set of claims against employers. Most often, the claim is based on an allegation that an employer discriminates against mothers of young children. At the heart of the problem is an assumption that a mother of children will act in a certain way or should act in a certain way. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9582 A federal judge has awarded almost $1 million in back wages to two Indonesian housekeepers who were virtually enslaved by a wealthy Long Island couple. The judge, Arthur D. Spatt of the Eastern District Court, said on Friday that the maids were entitled to double their unpaid wages because they were abused while working around the clock for the couple, Varsha and Mahender Sabhnani. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9581 Along with summer associate lunches and the occasional country club outing, access to chauffeured Lincolns and Cadillacs is one of the most ubiquitous perks of big law firm life. But the proper use of car service is at the heart of a sex and age discrimination suit currently facing Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9580 Wal-Mart has lost its bid to overturn a 2005 Long Island jury verdict that found the nation's No. 1 retailer guilty of discrimination against a mentally disabled Centereach (NY) man. Two years ago, a federal jury in Central Islip awarded Patrick Brady $7.5 million in punitive and compensatory damages, which were later reduced to about $1 million because of statutory caps. Wal-Mart appealed the guilty verdict and sought a new trial. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, affirmed the jury's finding of discrimination. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9579 Human Resources directors tell me that in times of heightened stress, such as exists today, both those who are likely to harass others are more likely to do so, and those who are more "sensitive" to disagreeable behavior are more likely to perceive it as intentional harassment. This becomes a headache for HR departments because even a verbal complaint about harassment (vs. a formal one) can mean many, many hours of investigative work to discern if the objectionable behavior constitutes either workplace or sexual harassment. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9578 It was the dead birds that set Rita Smith off. Her husband, Steve, had been ill for years, with oozing sores on his skin, shortness of breath and mental confusion. She suspected that it all was tied to a Mojave Desert chemical plant where they both had worked. Soon, Smith would begin an assault against the plant in a campaign reminiscent of those waged by crusaders Karen Silkwood and Erin Brockovich, whose battles against corporate giants in the 1970s and 1990s became subjects of Hollywood films. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9577 Judging from the jobs report for June, released last Thursday, the economy has shifted into reverse. For the sixth month in a row, the economy shed jobs, for a total loss of 438,000 jobs so far this year. About half of that came in the past three months, the worst second-quarter showing since 2003, when the nation was mired in joblessness from the previous recession. It appears that things will get worse before they get better. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9576 Stay home if you're sick. That's the best way to stop the spread of contagious diseases, such as influenza, tuberculosis and gastrointestinal viruses. Besides, you can't do your job capably or safely if you don't feel well. But many Americans simply tough it out when ill, going to work with pain, cramps, headaches, fevers or worse. Often, they have no choice. As many as 43% of American workers in private industry don't have paid sick days, according to 2007 data from the federal government. If they call in sick, they lose their pay and, sometimes, their jobs. http://www.workplacefairness.org/news.php#9575