Preserving worker protection programs despite challenging economic times is crucial, according to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who testified this week before Congress about her department's 2013 budget request.

It’s official: Labor Secretary Hilda Solis has announced in a letter to colleagues dated January 9^th that she is leaving her cabinet seat to “begin a new future” back in her home state of California. She submitted her resignation to President Obama on the 9^th.

In the spring of 2010, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who announced her resignation January 9^th, 2013, put her name on the Department of Labor’s Regulatory Agenda Narrative, where she endorsed a strategy of “Plan/Prevent/Protect.”

From Hilda Solis' resignation as Secretary of Labor to a new study on workplace wellness programs and the savings they can produce in health costs to the way Americans are continuing to endanger our health, here are the week's top EHS-related stories as featured on ISHN.com:

A public service career that started “almost as a lark” ends – at least for now – with the departure of Hilda S. Solis as U.S. Secretary of Labor. In her farewell on the Department of Labor’s (DOL) blog, Solis listed the accomplishments of the department under her tenure:

OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab ended some speculation late last month when he announced that he and agency head Dr. David Michaels will remain at their posts.

Last month, Assistant Secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dr. David Michaels held an OSHA Employees All-Hands Meeting. OSHA employees who were not able to attend the meeting in person were able to participate through the web.