Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Press Releases
U.S. Department of Labor |
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Baton Rouge, La.-based staffing company pays more than $125,000 in back overtime wages following US Labor Department investigation
BATON ROUGE, La. -- General Structors Contractors Inc. in Baton Rouge has paid $126,745 in overtime back wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that 254 cooks and laborers were not properly paid as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
“The Labor Department will continue to enforce the law to ensure that all workers are paid the full wages they have rightfully earned,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the division in the Southwest. “In this case, some employees worked as many as 112 hours in a week without receiving overtime compensation. This practice is illegal.”
The investigation by the Wage and Hour Division in New Orleans, La., determined that employees were paid straight time for all hours worked, including those worked over 40 in a week. Additionally, the company did not maintain required recordkeeping.
General Structors Contractors is a temporary staffing company that provides laborers in various industries such as construction, welding and food services. The company has agreed to future FLSA compliance and back wages have been paid in full.
The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.
For more information about the FLSA and other federal wage laws, call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or contact the division’s District Office in New Orleans at 504-589-6171. Information is also available on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov/whd.
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