reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 20 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 20. Hours of work

 (a) No employer shall employ any of his employees for (1) more than 5 consecutive days, or (2) longer than a total of 40 hours in a workweek, unless otherwise provided for pursuant to section 6(e) of this title, or (3) for a workday longer than 8 hours, unless such employee receives compensation for his employment (1) on a sixth and/or a seventh consecutive day of work, or (2) in excess of 40 hours in a workweek, or (3) in excess of 8 hours in a workday, whichever excess is calculated to give the employee the greatest compensation, at a rate not less than 1 ½ times the regular rate at which he is employed. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, an employer in either a tourist service or a restaurant industry may employ an employee for 6 consecutive days, provided, however, that such employee is employed for not less than 40 hours in the workweek during which any part of the 6 consecutive days are worked. No such employer shall employ any such employee for (1) more than 6 consecutive days, or (2) longer than a total of 40 hours in a workweek, unless otherwise provided for pursuant to section 6(e) of this title, or (3) for a workday longer than 8 hours, unless such employee receives compensation for employment (1) on a seventh consecutive day of work, or (2) in excess of 40 hours in a workweek, or (3) in excess of 8 hours in a workday, whichever excess is calculated to give the employee the greatest compensation, at a rate not less than 1 ½ times the regular rate at which he is employed. (c) Except in the case of either a tourist service or a restaurant industry, whenever an employee is regularly required to work on more than one shift, all of which fall within one calendar day, and the interval between such shifts exceeds two hours, the employer shall pay compensation to the employee at the regular rate for the period of such interval in excess of two hours. The provisions of this paragraph shall not affect the payment of overtime compensation when such payment is otherwise applicable. (d) any employee of a carrier by air or other carriers, that are subject to the provisions of the Federal Railway Labor Act, are exempted from the overtime provision in subsection (a) of this section.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 20a (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 20a. Mandatory rest periods

 Except as otherwise provided for in a written contract or by a collective bargaining agreement: (a) An employer shall allow paid rest periods of a minimum of ten minutes within each four hours of continuous work. (b) Employers need not provide rest periods for employees whose total daily work time is less than four hours. (c) An employer may not add the rest period to a meal period nor allow the employee to take his rest period at the beginning or end of the work period. (d) If an employer fails to provide an employee a rest period in accordance with the applicable provisions of this section, the employee shall make up the missed rest period within the same work day, or within the same pay period or the employer shall pay the employee one-half hour pay at the employee's regular rate of compensation for each rest period that is not provided. (e) Subsections (a) through (d) of this section do not apply when all of the following conditions exist: (1) The employee is 18 years or older; (2) the employee is working alone; (3) the employee is employed in a retail or service establishment; and (4) the employee is allowed to leave the employee's assigned station when the employee must use the restroom facilities. (f) The Commissioner of Labor may promulgate rules and regulations not inconsistent with this section.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 20b (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 20b. Mandatory meal break

 Except as otherwise provided for in a written contract or by a collective bargaining agreement: (a) An employer shall provide its employees who work for a continuous period of seven hours or longer with: (1) An uninterrupted meal period of not less than 30 minutes during which the employee is relieved of all duties. The meal period must begin no later than five hours after the start of the work period; or (2) An “on-duty” meal period while continuing to perform duties or remaining on call. The employer must show that the nature or circumstances of the work prevent the employee from being relieved from duty. (b) Meal periods are not included as part of the work period, as used in this section, unless the employee continues to perform duties during the meal period. (c) The Commissioner of Labor may promulgate rules and regulations not inconsistent with this section.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 20c (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 20c. Exemption

 (a) An employee may voluntarily agree to forego any rest period or meal period. The employer has the burden of proving the existence of the agreement with the employee. (b) An employer may apply to the Commissioner of Labor for an exemption from providing to all or to one or more defined categories of his employees one or more benefits conferred in this section. The Commissioner of Labor may grant the exemption, if he believes that the employer has shown sufficient evidence that business necessity precludes providing the benefits, and that the exemption would not materially affect the welfare or comfort of employees. (c) The Commissioner of Labor may by regulation exempt a defined category of employers from providing to all or to one or more defined categories of their employees one or more benefits conferred by sections 20c and 20b, upon his own motion or upon the application of an association of employers. Each such application must be considered at a hearing and may be granted, if the Commissioner of Labor finds that business necessity precludes providing that particular benefit or benefits to the employees affected, and that the exemption would not materially affect the welfare or comfort of employees.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 21 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 21. Protection of resident workers; rules and regulations

 The Commissioner shall aid and assist resident workers in the Virgin Islands to obtain, safeguard and protect their rightful preference to be employed in occupations and industries in the Territory. He shall have the power to issue rules and regulations, which when approved by the Governor, shall have the force and effect of law to effectuate the policy contained herein.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 22 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 22. Reports by Commissioner

 The Commissioner shall compile, arrange, classify, and publish statistics on wages, working hours, labor conditions and living costs. The Commissioner shall every year submit to the Governor and to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands a report of his activities during the preceding year, including information, data and recommendations in connection with this chapter.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 23 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 1 - Fair Labor Standards|§ 23. Submission of payrolls

 Any person doing business in the Virgin Islands shall submit to the Commissioner, when requested, a copy of his weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly payroll for examination.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 31 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 31. Purpose

 (a) The Legislature has determined that in order for the Territory to better protect its public-sector workers, it should retain the duties of regulation and enforcement of rules in places of public employment by formulating and obtaining federal approval for a Public Employee Only State Plan under section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 667. (b) The Legislature declares it to be its purpose and policy, through the exercise of its power to regulate commerce within the Territory of the Virgin Islands and to provide for the general welfare, to assure so far as possible every public sector employee in the Territory safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources by: (1) encouraging public sector employers and employees in their efforts to reduce the number of occupational safety and health hazards at their places of employment, and to stimulate public sector employers and employees to institute new programs and to perfect existing programs for providing safe and healthful working conditions; (2) providing that public-sector employers and employees have separate but dependent responsibilities and rights with respect to achieving safe and healthful working conditions; (3) authorizing the Commissioner of Labor to set or adopt mandatory occupational safety and health standards applicable to public-sector workplaces within the Virgin Islands; (4) building upon advances already made through public-sector employer and employee initiatives for providing safe and healthful conditions; (5) providing for research in the field of occupational safety and health, including the psychological factors involved, and by developing innovative methods, techniques and approaches for dealing with local, occupational safety and health problems; (6) exploring ways to discover latent diseases, establishing casual [sic] connections between diseases and work in environmental conditions, and conducting other research relating to health problems, in recognition of the fact that occupational health standards present problems often different from those involved in occupational safety; (7) providing medical criteria that will assure insofar as practicable, that no public-sector employee will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work experience; (8) providing training programs to increase the number and competence of personnel engaged in the field of occupational safety and health; (9) providing an effective enforcement program that shall include a prohibition against giving advance notice of any inspection, and sanctions for an individual violating this prohibition; (10) providing for appropriate reporting procedures with respect to occupational safety and health which will help achieve the objectives of this chapter and accurately describe the nature of the occupational safety and health problems; and (11) encouraging joint labor-management efforts to reduce injuries and diseases arising out of employment.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 32 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 32. Definitions

 For the purpose of this chapter (1) The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor or the Commissioner's authorized and accredited representatives. (2) The term “employ” means to suffer or permit to work. (3) The term “employee” means any individual employed by the Government of the Virgin Islands, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions, if any. (4) The term “employer” means the government of the Virgin Islands, its department, agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions, if any. (5) The term “Occupational Safety and Health Standard” means a standard that requires conditions or the adoption or use of one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes reasonably necessary or appropriate to provide safe or healthful employment and places of employment. (6) The term “person” means one or more individuals, departments, agencies, instrumentalities, legal representatives, or any organized group of persons in the public sector. (7) The term “public sector” means the Government of the Virgin Islands, its department, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, if any. (8) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States Department of Labor. (9) The term, “State Plan” means the agreements and contractual arrangements made by the Commissioner with the United States Department of Labor and the Secretary of Labor under which Territorial development and enforcement of occupational safety and health rules may be carried forward. (10) The term “workplace” means any area where work is being performed at any time, by any person who is a public-sector employee.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 33 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 33. Applicability of this chapter

 This chapter applies with respect to employment performed in a public-sector workplace within the Virgin Islands.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 34 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 34. Rights, duties or liabilities of public sector employer and employees

 Nothing in this chapter may be construed to supersede in any manner to affect any Workers' Compensation Administration law or to enlarge or diminish or affect in any other manner the common law or statutory rights, duties, or liabilities of public-sector employers and employees under any law with respect to injuries, diseases, or death of employees arising out of, or in the course of employment.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 35 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 35. Duties

 (a) Each public-sector employer shall: (1) furnish to each of its employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to its employees; and (2) comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this chapter. (b) Each public-sector employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations and orders issued under this chapter which are applicable to his own actions and conduct. (c) Space leased by a public-sector employer is subject to all safety and health rules, regulations and orders in effect. Any deficiency, including a deficiency resulting either from occupant use or deferred maintenance by the lessor, is subject to correction in accordance with the governing rules, regulations and orders at the time that the deficiency is cited by the Commissioner. However, a public-sector employer may not execute a lease, unless the leased property is in conformance with such rules, regulations and orders as are in effect at the time the lease is executed.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 38 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 38. Citations

 (a) If upon inspection or investigation, the Commissioner or the Commissioner's authorized representative believes that a public-sector employer has violated a requirement of section 35 of this chapter, of any standard, rule or order promulgated pursuant to section 36 of this chapter, or of any regulations prescribed under this chapter, he shall with reasonable promptness issue a citation to the employer. Each citation must be in writing and must describe with particularity the nature of the violation including a reference to the provision of this chapter, standard, rule, regulation or order alleged to have been violated. In addition, the citation must fix a reasonable time for abatement of the violation. The Commissioner may prescribe procedures for issuance of a notice in lieu of a citation with respect to de minimis violations that have no direct or immediate relationship to safety and health. (b) Each citation issued under this section or a copy of the citation must be prominently posted, as prescribed in regulations issued by the Commissioner, at or near each place a violation referred to in the citation occurred. (c) No citation may be issued under this section after the expiration of six months following the discovery of a violation during an inspection.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 41 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 41. Hearings

 (a) One or more hearing examiners shall be appointed by the Governor of the Virgin Islands upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Labor who by reason of training, education, or experience are qualified to hear and render decisions in contested cases arising under this chapter. (b) The function of hearing examiners, acting as individuals or in assembly, shall be to hear and make a determination upon any proceeding instituted before them or upon any motion in connection therewith, assigned to them by the Commissioner and shall make a written report of such determination which shall constitute the final disposition of the proceedings. The report of the hearing examiner shall be transmitted by certified mail to the parties. The report of the hearing examiner shall become a final decision and order of the Commissioner within 30 days after receipt of the report by the parties, unless, within such period the Commissioner directs review of the report and the report is modified by the Commissioner. Thereafter, the modified report shall become the final order of the Commissioner. The decision becomes the final order of the Commissioner upon its receipt of the parties when transmitted to the parties by certified mail five working days after its issuance by the Commissioner. (c) The appointment, terms of office, compensation and removal of hearing examiners shall be fixed in accordance with the provisions of title [sic] chapter 25 of the Virgin Islands Code. (d) The Commissioner may prescribe such rules as are necessary for the lawful and orderly transaction of proceedings and hearings under this chapter. (e) Hearing examiners may order testimony to be taken by deposition in any proceedings pending before them. Any person may be compelled to appear and depose and to produce papers or documents in the same manner as witnesses may be compelled to appear and testify and produce like documentary evidence before a hearing examiner. Witnesses whose depositions are taken under this subsection and the persons taking such depositions are entitled to the same fees as are paid for like services in the courts of the Virgin Islands.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 42 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 42. Procedures to counteract imminent dangers

 (a) The Superior Court of the Virgin Islands has jurisdiction, upon petition of the Commissioner, to restrain any conditions or practices in any place of public-sector employment which are such that a danger exists that may reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm immediately or before the imminence of such danger can be eliminated through the enforcement procedures otherwise provided by this chapter. Any order issued under this section may require such steps to be taken as may be necessary to avoid, correct, or remove the imminent danger and prohibit the public-sector employment or presence of any individual in any location or under conditions where the imminent danger exists, except individuals whose presence is necessary to avoid, correct or remove such imminent danger or to maintain the capacity of a continuous process operation to resume normal operations without a complete cessation of operation, or where a cessation of operation is necessary, to permit such to be accomplished in a safe, orderly manner. (b) Upon the filing of a petition, the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands has jurisdiction to grant injunctive relief or temporary restraining order pending the outcome of an enforcement proceeding pursuant to this chapter. The proceeding shall be as provided by the Rules of the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, except that no temporary restraining order shall be effective for a period longer than five days. (c) Whenever and as soon as an inspector concludes that conditions or practices described in subsection (a) of this section exist in any place of employment, he shall inform the affected public-sector employer and employees of the danger and that he is recommending to the Commissioner that relief be sought. (d) If the Commissioner arbitrarily or capriciously fails to seek relief under this section, any public-sector employee who may be injured by reason of such failure or the representative of such employee, may bring an action against the Commissioner in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands for an order to compel the Commissioner to seek such and order and for such further relief as may be appropriate.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 43 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 43. Confidentiality of trade secrets

 All information reported to or otherwise obtained by the Commissioner or his representative in connection with any inspection or proceeding under this chapter which contains or which might reveal a trade secret referred to in Title 14, section 1665 of the Virgin Islands Code is considered confidential for the purposes of that section, except that such information may be disclosed to other officers and employees concerned with carrying out this chapter, or when relevant in any proceeding under this chapter. In any such proceeding the Commissioner, or the court shall issue such orders as may be appropriate to protect the confidentiality of trade secrets.
V.I. Code tit. 24, § 44 (2019)
2019 US Virgin Islands Code|Title 24 - Labor|Chapter 2 - Occupational Safety and Health|§ 44. Penalties

 (a)  (1) Any public-sector employer who fails to correct a serious violation for which a citation has been issued under section 38(a) within the period permitted for its correction may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each day during which such failure or violation continues. (2) The period permitted for correction in paragraph (a) does not begin to run until the date of the final order of the Commissioner in the case of any review proceeding under section 39 initiated by the public-employer in good faith and not solely for delay or avoidance of penalties. (b) Any person who gives advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under this chapter, without authority from the Commissioner or the Commissioner's designee shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months or by both the fine and the imprisonment provided in this section. (c) Whoever knowingly makes any false statement, representation or certification in any application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter shall upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months or by both such fine and imprisonment. (d) The Commissioner may assess all failure to abate penalties provided in this section, giving due consideration to the appropriateness of the penalty with respect to the size of the public sector workplace whose employer being charged, the gravity of the violation, the good faith of the public sector employer and the history of previous violations. (e) For the purposes of failure-to-abate penalties, a serious violation exists in a place of public-sector employment, if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition that exists, or, from one or more practices, means, methods, operations or processes that have been adopted or are in use, in such place of public-sector employment unless the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the violation. (f) Civil fail-to-abate penalties owed under this chapter, must be paid to the Commissioner for deposit with the Commissioner of Finance and accrue to the Virgin Islands Government Insurance Fund. (g) Any Division of Occupational Safety and Health employee who violates the provisions of section 43 of this chapter relating to disclosure of trade secrets and confidential information shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment of not more than a year or by both such fine and imprisonment.