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November 14, 2025 Four Co-Defendants Previously Pleaded Guilty for Their Roles in Compelling the Labor of H-2A Visa Recipients Throughout the Southeastern United States Alexander Villatoro Moreno, also known as “Quichi,” 53, made his first appearance in federal court today after the Mexican government recently apprehended and extradited him to the United States. Villatoro Moreno faces four charges, including conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to commit forced labor, conspiracy to obstruct proceedings before agencies, and one count of forced labor for conduct alleged to have occurred between September 2015 and December 2017.    According to the indictment, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants fraudulently recruited Mexican nationals to lawfully enter the United States to perform seasonal agricultural work, often lying to the victims about how much they would be paid, the hours they would work, the working conditions, and the reimbursement they would receive for paying recruitment fees and other expenses. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants then misled the United States to secure valid H-2A visas for the victims. Once in the United States, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants compelled the labor and services of the victims by, among other actions, having the victims engage in long hours of physically demanding agricultural work while paying them far less money for their work than they were entitled to under the law. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants also took the victims’ passports to prevent them from leaving, warned the victims that family members back in Mexico could get harmed if they did not comply with their demands, and threatened them with arrest and deportation. When officials began investigating, Villatoro Moreno distributed fake reimbursement receipts to the victims to make it appear that Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), the Farm Labor Contractor that Moreno helped manage, was reimbursing the workers for their travel-related expenses. Villatoro Moreno’s four co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the scheme. Bladimir Moreno, Alexander Moreno’s brother, owned LVH and pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Efrain Cabrera Rodas and Christina Gamez, LVH supervisors, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act while Guadalupe Mendes Mendoza, another LVH supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation.  In 2022, Bladimir Moreno was sentenced to 118 months in prison and ordered to pay over $175,000 in restitution to the victims while Rodas and Gamez were sentenced to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively. Mendoza was also sentenced in 2022 to serve eight months of home detention and a $5,500 fine to be paid over 24 months of supervised release. If convicted, Villatoro Moreno faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Task Force received assistance from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Legal Services Migrant Farm Worker Division, Legal Aid Services of Oregon Farmworker Program and Indiana Legal Services Worker Rights and Protection Project. The Government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), provided significant assistance in the extradition of Villatoro Moreno to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Villatoro Moreno. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit  www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at  www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is merely an allegation, and Villatoro Moreno is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

November 14, 2025 Montreal — A  recent study  of apprentice welders revealed a “significant increase” in metal levels in urine, nail and hair samples taken over the duration of their three-module training program. A team from the Canadian research organization IRSST and the University of Montreal followed 116 apprentice welders to examine their exposure levels to welding fumes and their metallic components. “ Heavy metal poisoning  (toxicity) is the result of exposure to heavy metals like lead, mercury and arsenic,” the Cleveland Clinic says. “Heavy metals bind to parts of your cells that prevent your organs from doing their job. Symptoms of heavy metal poisoning can be life-threatening, and they can cause irreversible damage.” Researchers determined that concentrations of iron, manganese, nickel and chromium “increased steadily over time.” Other findings: Arsenic levels increased in fingernails and hair (but not in toenails). Cobalt concentrations increased in fingernails and toenails (but not in hair). Levels of iron, manganese and nickel in urine increased in the first module of the apprentice program but not in the final two modules. Manganese concentrations exceed American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guidelines – “a concerning factor for neurological health.” “This study highlights the importance of better regulating the prevention of exposure to welding fumes,” study co-author Michèle Bouchard, of the University of Montreal, said in a press release. “It is essential to optimize ventilation practices and personal protective equipment to protect the health of workers.”

November 14, 2025 Starting on February 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, employers must provide each current and new employee with a stand-alone written Workplace Know Your Rights Act Notice via regular communication methods (e.g., in person, email, or text). This notice requirement (imposed by  Senate Bill 294 ) is in addition to any existing required Labor Code notices. The Labor Commissioner will release a template notice by January 1, 2026, update it yearly, and will publish educational videos by July 1, 2026. Required Notice Content The notice must clearly explain workers’ rights related to: Workers’ compensation benefits, including disability pay and medical care for work-related injuries or illness, and contact information for the Division of Workers’ Compensation. A summary of employee’s rights to immigration inspection notices and protections against unfair immigration-related practices. Union organizing and concerted activity. Constitutional rights during interactions with law enforcement at the workplace, including Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections. The notice must also include: New legal developments under laws enforced by the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, as identified by the Labor Commissioner. A list of enforcement agencies responsible for those rights. Language Requirements Employers must provide the notice in the language typically used for work-related communications and that the employee understands, as long as that version is available on the Labor Commissioner’s website. If not available, employers may provide it in English. The Labor Commissioner’s template will be offered in Chinese, English, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese, with additional languages possible. Additional Employer Duties Employers must keep records for three years, documenting when each notice was sent. Employers cannot retaliate against any employee who exercises their rights, files a complaint, cooperates in an investigation, or assists in enforcement under this law. Employers may share the Labor Commissioner’s informational video to supplement notice delivery. Emergency Contact Designation By March 30, 2026, employers must allow employees to designate an emergency contact or collect this information from new hires going forward. If an employee is arrested or detained at work—or offsite during work hours or while performing job duties (if known to the employer)—employers are required to notify the designated contact. Penalties The new law authorizes enforcement by the Labor Commissioner or a public prosecutor. Violations may incur penalties for up to $500 per employee, or up to $10,000 per employee for ongoing emergency contact violations. Given the effective date of February 1, 2026, employers should start preparing compliant notices and updating onboarding/new-hire processes as soon as possible.

November 13, 20205 Skills-first hiring should be treated as a companywide transformation rather than just an HR project, researchers said. Employers may risk falling behind if they still prioritize the traditional credentials of job candidates over their capabilities and skills, according to a Nov. 6 report from The Conference Board and OneTen, a nonprofit organization focused on helping talent without four-year degrees.   As artificial intelligence tools continue to transform work and workforce skills change rapidly, employers need to take a skills-first approach that prioritizes candidates’ abilities, the report found. To do it successfully, though, this focus should be a companywide approach rather than “just an HR project,” researchers said.   “Roughly 62% of Americans lack a four-year degree. By focusing on skills rather than credentials, organizations can gain a competitive edge, all while opening the door to a far broader range of capable talent,” Allan Schweyer, principal researcher of human capital at The Conference Board, said in a statement.   Skills-first hiring is already transforming talent pipelines from recruitment to advancement, according to a Coursera report. By focusing on competencies, employers can more effectively find job-ready talent, reduce turnover and streamline career pathways, the report found.   In a recent roundtable, led by executives from The Conference Board and OneTen, HR leaders focused on embedding skills-first practices across their organizations. They noted the importance of securing visible CEO sponsorship and cross-functional alignment on skills-first goals and measures, as well as anchoring the approach in leadership, culture and governance as part of overall business and talent strategy — not as an HR program or a parallel initiative.   Starting small is also important, the roundtable found. Leaders can pilot one to three roles where hiring is slow or quality is low, first by mapping the roles to specific and measurable skills and outcomes and then rewriting job descriptions with those skills at the forefront. After demonstrating early wins, such as faster hiring and better onboarding, leaders can build momentum across the organization.   As part of the companywide approach, leaders can train managers to conduct skills-based interviews and coach workers based on defined capabilities. To further build momentum, executives can highlight quick wins and recognize managers who drive results, including measurements such as time to hire, quality of hire, early productivity, retention at 6-12 months, engagement and internal mobility. Despite an increasing focus on skills-based hiring,  few companies feel effective at skill validation , according to a report from Hirevue and Aptitude Research. Rather than relying on inferred skills from resumes, talent leaders can confirm competency through structured evaluations, simulations and assessments driven by AI tools, the report found. In addition,  hiring employees who show promise can help close skills gaps , according to a Gartner report. Talent management and learning and development leaders can work together to boost internal mobility when they don’t require workers to show proficiency in every skill before shifting them to new roles, the firm said.

November 13, 2025 New report shows candidate engagement declining amid stagnant hiring times HR leaders are being urged to underscore the importance of hiring speed as a new report indicates that stagnant hiring times are bringing down candidate engagement.   The latest iCIMS Workforce Insights report revealed that applications dropped by seven per cent between September and October as the time to fill vacancies remained unchanged at 39 days in the US labor market.   It noted that while applicants per opening are up year-over-year, recent months have seen a dip in application activity as employers remain cautious in their decision-making.   "Competition for open roles is up, but steady hiring pace and employer caution may be cooling candidate momentum," the report read. It underscored the need for chief human resources officers (CHROs) to help hiring managers understand that speed in hiring is important.   "If the slow hiring is the result of business direction, reassess the openings and priorities to help your teams focus on quality hiring," the report read.   "Labor market demographics are shifting, changing not just how but where you recruit. Make sure your hiring teams are ready to adapt their approach."   Stagnant hiring times The unchanged time-to-fill days indicate that employers are remaining "cautious and deliberate" when it comes to their hiring decisions, according to the report.   In the manufacturing sector, time-to-fill went up from 40 to 42 days.   The slower hiring times come despite job openings going up 14% year-over-year, and applications per opening increasing to 47 year-over-year.   Trent Cotton, Head of Talent Acquisition Insights & Analyst Relations, iCIMS, said the data indicates that the problem is process friction and not pipeline scarcity.   "Candidates are applying, but few are moving through efficiently," Cotton said in a statement.   The impact is felt in the gradual decline in monthly applications per opening, which went down to 47 in October from the peak in March.   "For manufacturing recruiters, the edge will go to those who treat hiring like production: measure throughput, eliminate bottlenecks, and keep talent moving," Cotton said.

November 12, 2025 On an early October morning on the south side of San Antonio, a 79-year-old worker at a manufactured-home dealership lost his life in a workplace incident now under federal investigation. Federal safety officials are probing the fatal event at the company to determine whether safety protocols were followed and whether broader hazards exist.   The Incident Unfolds  Around 5:00 a.m., the employee arrived at the site of Palm Harbor Homes (Elmendorf, Texas) and opened the facility’s gate. Shortly thereafter, his pick-up vehicle began to roll backward, and when he attempted to re-enter the cab to stop the motion, he fell out. The truck then rolled over him, resulting in blunt force and crushing injuries from which he did not survive. He was able to call 911, but was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner classified the manner of death as accidental. Why Safety Regulators Are Involved The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation to determine whether the dealership complied with workplace safety requirements. Given the fatal outcome and the circumstances—an older worker, vehicle motion, possible lack of safeguards—the incident raises questions about vehicle immobilization procedures, worker supervision, training, and hazard recognition. What This Means for Safety Practitioners From a health and safety perspective, this case highlights several critical issues relevant to workplace professionals: Vehicle motion control:  Any operation where vehicles are parked, gates are opened, or workers are in proximity to vehicles must evaluate vehicle restraint, blocking, and worker-positioning hazards. Older worker dynamics:  At 79 years of age, the worker’s mobility, reaction time, vision, and physical strength may have been more limited than younger coworkers. A risk assessment should consider demographic factors and task suitability. Early-morning operations:  The incident occurred pre-dawn, when visibility, alertness, and staffing may be sub-optimal. Fatigue, reduced supervision, and fewer personnel could compound hazards. Employer hazard assessment obligations:  The employer must assess hazards inherent in routine tasks, even those that seem benign, like opening a gate, and ensure controls are in place: physical restraints, safe work practices, training, and emergency response. Regulatory exposure:  With OSHA’s investigation active, employers should review their procedures for preventing employee contact with moving vehicles, ensure safeguards (such as wheel chocks, parking brakes, gate-locking mechanisms, worker-lockout procedures) are in place, and rectify gaps before a serious event occurs.   Final Word: Prevention Before Response This tragic event serves as a sober reminder that workplaces deemed low-hazard (such as a dealership or an early-morning shift gate opening) can nonetheless house fatal risks when controls are absent or insufficient. For practitioners in the safety and health community this is an opportunity to review their own vehicle-movement policies, specifically where older employees, early-hour work, or moving equipment are involved. Proactive hazard recognition and control implementation remain the strongest safeguard

November 12, 2025 Manoa, HI — Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Oregon State University will partner to create best safety practices “based on the nature and stresses of small construction businesses.”   Funded by a grant from the nonprofit Job-Site Safety Institute, the project “embeds researchers directly within real jobsites.” The goal: to produce a guide encompassing best practices, training and behavioral interventions for construction operations with 20 or fewer employees.   To accomplish this, the researchers plan to complete various case studies and interviews. They’ll examine how work operations, workplace culture, decision-making influences and stressors affect residential construction projects.   “This grant is exciting for JSI because this research brings us to the front line of construction sites, where safety isn’t just a manual or checklist but a real-world experience,” JSI Executive Director Rob Matuga said in a press release. “The project will allow researchers to be immersed in the daily realities of the jobsite, where they can listen to the voices on the ground and observe the hidden risks, habits, unspoken rules and human factors that truly shape safety onsite.”   Vineeth Dharmapalan, principal investigator and assistant professor of civil, environmental and construction engineering at UHM, added in the release that “our aim is to capture the daily pressures behind safety decisions.   “Triangulating these perspectives will allow us to create best practices that are both solidly evidence-based and grounded in the lived experiences of small contractors.”

November 6, 2025 On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance confirming employers will not be penalized for failing to report cash tips and overtime compensation in the manner required in the latest federal budget reconciliation bill. This guidance may be especially relevant to employers in the entertainment, hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industries.   Quick Hits New guidance from the Treasury Department and IRS provides penalty relief to employers for tax year 2025 for failing to satisfy the new requirements for reporting cash tips and overtime compensation under 2025’s comprehensive budget bill. The guidance gives employers relief with respect to the transition period of the 2025 tax year to gather the correct information without penalty. The grace period does not extend beyond the 2025 tax year. The guidance states that employers will not face incorrect information return penalties for failing to provide a separate accounting of cash tips or the occupation of the employee receiving tips. Employers also will not face penalties for failing to separately provide the total amount of qualified overtime pay. This relief applies only to information returns, such as Form W-2, filed for tax year 2025 and only to the extent that the employer otherwise files a complete and correct tax statement.   The IRS noted that Forms W-2 and 1099 for tax year 2025 will not be updated to account for the changes contained in the 2025 budget bill. The IRS encouraged, but did not require, employers to give tipped employees the occupation codes and separate accountings of cash tips to facilitate employees’ claims of the deduction for qualified tips for tax year 2025. Likewise, it encouraged, but did not require, employers to give employees a separate accounting of overtime pay, so employees can claim a deduction for qualified overtime pay for tax year 2025. Employers can make the information available to their employees through an online portal, additional written statements, or (in the case of overtime compensation) in Box 14 of Form W-2.   Reporting Requirements Under the 2025 budget bill, workers who customarily and regularly receive tips can deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their income subject to federal income tax starting on January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028. Businesses must report these tips on Form W-2 for employees and on Form 1099 for nonemployees. The IRS released a list of eligible tipped occupations, including bartenders, waitstaff, cooks, dishwashers, bakers, gambling dealers, dancers, musicians, concierges, hotel housekeeping staff, hairdressers, barbers, massage therapists, and nail technicians.   Meanwhile, workers can deduct up to $12,500 or $25,000, depending on filing status, in overtime pay from their income subject to federal income tax, starting on January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2028. Businesses are required to report qualified overtime compensation on Form W-2 for employees and on Form 1099 for nonemployees.   Next Steps Employers may wish to become familiar with the new reporting requirements for cash tips and overtime pay and take steps to fully comply with those reporting requirements for tax year 2026. They will not be penalized for not complying with those reporting requirements for tax year 2025. However, the IRS encouraged employers to provide employees with the information needed to facilitate employees’ deductions. Generally, IRS penalties for each incorrect or late Form W-2 can range from $60 to $680 per form.

November 6, 2025 Even as Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed for Florida to be the most aggressive state in assisting the federal government with immigration enforcement, state law still allows hundreds of thousands of companies to skip doing an E-Verify check.   In Florida, private companies with fewer than 25 employees don't need to use the federal database that confirms an employee's immigration status. On Wednesday, a state House committee moved forward a bill that would require all private employers to use the screening program, closing what some lawmakers have called a loophole.   There is no matching legislation in the Senate so far this session, but Jacques said he is in talks with senators.   During the Wednesday committee meeting, Jacques noted that small businesses already have to collect an employee's I-9 form, which is meant to verify employment eligibility.   "When you drill down to it, this simply enforces the law," Jacques said.   The bulk of private businesses in Florida have fewer than 25 employees. About 476,000 businesses in Florida have 19 employees or fewer, according to a 2025 report from the U.S. Small Business Administration. About 42,000 businesses have 20 or more employees.   When DeSantis first ran for office in 2018, he promised to pass E-Verify legislation.

November 4, 2025 Milwaukee — More than half of workers think safety takes a back seat to profits at their current job, results of a recent survey show.   Brady, an industrial and safety printing systems and solutions company, asked 1,000 adult workers about both physical safety concerns on the job (such as building security, emergency preparedness and equipment hazards) and psychological safety concerns (including harassment, stress and trust in management).   Results show that 54% of the workers don’t “fully trust” their company’s leadership or human resources department to create a safe work environment, with 40% trusting them only “somewhat” and 10% not trusting them at all. Slightly more (57%) believe that profits are prioritized over safety.   The leading cause of feeling unsafe at work was threats of violence from customers, clients or the public (37%). That was followed by co-workers (33%) and concerns over a lack of physical building security (33%).   Other findings: 61% of the workers agree that their organization is unprepared for an active shooter. 18% cited mental health strain and burnout as a reason for skipping work. That was followed by threats of physical violence (10%) and unsafe equipment (9%). 25% said their employer doesn’t provide adequate mental health support. “The data paints a picture of American workplaces struggling to balance productivity demands with worker safety, while failing to adapt safety protocols to address modern challenges, including mental health, interpersonal conflicts and evolving security threats,” a Brady press release states.