US Department of Labor investigation reveals Boynton Beach residential construction contractor skirted federal overtime laws

BOYNTON BEACH, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division works hard to help employers understand that violating federal labor laws can be costly, a lesson a Boynton Beach-based residential construction contractor has learned.

An investigation by the division has led to the recovery of $240,497 in back wages for 40 workers employed by Properties of Elegant Distinction LLC to resolve the company’s overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The division found the employer paid workers for their first 40 hours in the workweek with a company check or through direct deposit and paid for any hours worked over 40 with a second check issued from a separate account at the workers’ straight-time rate. By doing so, the employer failed to pay employees overtime as the law requires.

“Employers must understand and comply with federal labor laws, including paying workers the wages they have legally earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Daniel Cronin in Miami. “When employers don’t comply, they violate the law, hurt their employees and gain an unfair competitive advantage over employers that play by the rules. As we emerge from the pandemic, the Wage and Hour Division is working to make sure essential workers take home every penny of their hard-earned wages.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division and use its search tool if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.