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New USDOL investigator for Pago

[l-r] US Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (USDOL-WHD) investigator Sarah Janeski; USDOL-WHD Assistant Director of the Honolulu District Office, Min Kirk; Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga; and Police Commissioner Le’i Sonny Thompson, following the 25th Police Academy graduation ceremony held on June 9 at the Governor H. Rex Lee Auditorium.  [photo: FS]
fili@samoanews.com

USDOL’s Wage and Hour Division investigator Sarah Janesk arrived in the territory last week and is assigned to the  field office in Pago Pago until Sept. 22. USDOL-WHD rotates investigators from the US to American Samoa every four months.

Responding to Samoa News inquiries, the USDOL San Francisco regional office spokesman Jose Carnevali told Samoa News yesterday morning that USDOL-WHD “continues to service the American Samoa community with an on-island investigator, whose purpose is to provide educational outreach to both employers and employees, as well as conduct investigations to determine the status of compliance with labor standards in both the private and public sectors.”

Carnevali said some of the statutory programs that apply to certain employers in American Samoa include the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, and permissible employment standards for minors under 18.

“The investigator currently on the island will serve a four-month assignment in American Samoa,” he said via email from San Francisco.

At last Friday’s cabinet meeting at Lee Auditorium, Human Resources Department Director Eseneiaso Liu explained that USDOL officials were on island conducting a compliance review. Lolo urged his cabinet to comply with all labor laws. (See yesterday’s edition for full details).

When asked if Kirk visited DHR or any other government department or officials, and the purpose of Kirk’s visit to the territory, Carnevali said USDOL-WHD “continues to meet with ASG department officials to promote a better understanding of the federal labor standards applicable to public sector workers, as well as to test and determine the status of compliance with the aforementioned federal labor statutes.”

Employers or employees seeking information on USDOL-WHD or other issues can contact their local field office at 254-4585. Other details can be obtained by logging on to <www.dol.gov/whd>