February 23, 2015

WHD News Release: Federal job-protected family and medical leave rights extended to eligible workers in same-sex marriages [02/23/2015]

WASHINGTON — Workers in legal, same-sex marriages, regardless of where they live, will now have the same rights as those in opposite-sex marriages to federal job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for a spouse with a serious health condition. The U.S. Labor Department announced a rule change to the FMLA today in keeping with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor.

February 18, 2015

WHD News Release: Chang & Sons Enterprises Inc. continues to cheat workers, US Labor Department investigation reveals [02/18/2015]

BOSTON — A follow-up investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has found that Whately agribusiness Chang & Sons Enterprises Inc., and its owner Sidney Chang, continue to deny workers the wages they have legally earned, despite prior investigations and a legal judgment requiring the employer to pay back wages and comply with federal wage and hour laws.

February 12, 2015

WHD News Brief: Annual enforcement initiative finds wage violations at 49 New Mexico and West Texas child care centers [02/12/2015]

Site: New Mexico and West Texas

Type of Action: Ongoing multi-year enforcement initiative.

February 11, 2015

WHD News Brief: Department of Labor files suit alleging US Cotton terminated pregnant machine operator in violation of Family and Medical Leave Act [02/11/2015]

Date of Action: Feb. 4, 2015

Type of Action: Complaint

Name of Defendant: U.S. Cotton LLC, 15501 Industrial Parkway, Cleveland, Ohio

Allegations: U.S. Cotton LLC, of Cleveland, wrongfully terminated the employment of a pregnant machine operator who requested leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act due to illness related to her pregnancy.

February 9, 2015

WHD News Release: Honolulu subcontractor pays more than $305K in back wages, damages to 65 workers after US Labor Department investigation [02/09/2015]

HONOLULU — M.H. Electric has paid $290,588 in back wages to 65 workers after the U.S. Department of Labor determined that the Honolulu-based subcontractor violated federal wage and hour laws at 10 federally funded construction projects awarded in Hawaii between 2012 and 2014 by the Hawaii Air National Guard and the U.S. Departments of the Navy, Army and Veterans Affairs. In resolving the department's allegations, the company also paid an additional $14,507 in back wages and damages for overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

February 5, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department's multi-year initiative aims to protect wages and rights of janitorial workers in Washington state [02/05/2015]

SEATTLE — More than three-quarters of janitorial service companies investigated nationally by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division in the past two fiscal years failed to pay low-wage workers fairly and legally for the work they do. Of the division's 1,221 janitorial industry investigations, 76 percent resulted in violations and led to the recovery of $7.9 million in unpaid wages for nearly 10,000 workers.

February 2, 2015

WHD News Release: Court orders telemarketer to pay $560K in back wages, damages to hundreds of employees in Las Vegas after US Labor Department investigation [02/02/2015]

LAS VEGAS — The U.S. District Court in Nevada has ordered a Las Vegas-based telemarketing company to pay $280,000 in minimum wage and overtime back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 398 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The consent judgment resolves a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Labor against Intelliconnect Communications LLC, owners Brenda Portela and Stephanie Meehan, and S&M Management Services Inc., a successor employer.

February 2, 2015

WHD News Release: Businessman David Emami must pay workers more than $512K for 'scheme' to avoid paying overtime [02/02/2015]

PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal court has ordered local developer David Emami and three of his affiliated companies to pay 33 Portland-area employees $512,290 in unpaid wages and liquidated damages. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon agreed with a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that found that Emami and companies Oak Grove Cinemas Inc., Barrington Management LLC and Barrington Venture LLC willfully violated the overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 29, 2015

WHD News Release: Owners of construction companies pay more than $108K in overtime back wages following US Labor Department investigation [01/29/2015]

NEDERLAND, Texas — Specialty Painting & Wall Covering Inc. and M & S Enterprise have paid 22 painters and sheetrock installers $108,783 in overtime back wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. The investigation revealed violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime and record-keeping provisions and found that workers at M & S Enterprise were misclassified as independent contractors.

January 28, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department recovers more than $87K in unpaid wages, overtime for 39 workers on federally funded construction project in Portland, Oregon [01/28/2015]

PORTLAND, Ore. — Sierra Construction Co. Inc. has agreed to pay $87,239 in back wages to 39 employees who worked on The Prescott apartment building, a federally financed construction project in Portland. U.S. Department of Labor investigators found that Sierra and two of its subcontractors failed to pay the prevailing wages required by the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

January 26, 2015

WHD News Release: Violations leave hundreds of limo chauffeurs below minimum wage [01/26/2015]

LAS VEGAS — Like neon lights, slot machines and high-stakes gamblers, chauffeured luxury transportation is a vital feature of the fabled Las Vegas experience. For nearly 500 drivers of one Vegas limousine company, improper payroll deductions and tip credits left many chauffeurs with earnings below the minimum wage, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found.

January 26, 2015

WHD News Brief: Labor Department files lawsuit against No-Dig Tec LLC in Dallas for workplace retaliation [01/26/2015]

Date of Action: Jan. 26, 2015

Type of Action: Lawsuit for violating anti-retaliation provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act

Name(s) of Defendant: No-Dig Tec, LLC and John Newell, President

January 15, 2015

WHD News Brief: El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant owners agree to pay $90K in back wages, penalties and damages after Labor Department investigation [01/15/2015]

Employer name: JAO Enterprises LLC, doing business as El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant

Investigation site: 2091 North Bend Road, Suite 150, Hebron, Kentucky

Date and what prompted investigation: The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division's Louisville District Office initiated an investigation in August 2013 as a follow-up to a separate investigation at an affiliated restaurant.

January 13, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department signs agreement with Florida Department of Revenue to reduce misclassification of employees [01/13/2015]

WASHINGTON — Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Florida Department of Revenue today signed a memorandum of understanding with the goal of protecting the rights of employees by preventing their misclassification as independent contractors or other nonemployee statuses. Under the agreement, both agencies will share information and coordinate law enforcement.

January 13, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department signs agreement with Florida Department of Revenue to reduce misclassification of employees [01/13/2015]

WASHINGTON — Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Florida Department of Revenue today signed a memorandum of understanding with the goal of protecting the rights of employees by preventing their misclassification as independent contractors or other nonemployee statuses. Under the agreement, both agencies will share information and coordinate law enforcement.

January 7, 2015

WHD News Release: US Labor Department sues Little Rock, Arkansas, electrical contractor for failing to pay federal contract workers properly [01/07/2015]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit with the Office of Administrative Law Judges against LRE Royal Electrical Contractors Inc. and its owner, George E. Smith, to recover $345,077 in back wages for 61 electrical workers. The action also seeks to prevent the company and Smith from obtaining federal contracts for three years.

January 5, 2015

WHD News Release: Monroeville, New Jersey, farm to pay $175,000 in back wages and penalties [01/05/2015]

MONROEVILLE, N.J. — Cassaday Farms LLC has agreed to pay a total of $117,130 in back wages and $57,870 in civil money penalties to settle charges leveled by the U.S. Department of Labor that the business unlawfully rejected 13 qualified U.S. workers, who applied for seasonal employment, and showed preferential treatment to H-2A workers, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

December 18, 2014

WHD News Release: US Labor Department extends building and heavy construction wage survey in Maine [12/18/2014]

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division announced today that it would extend the completion date to April 30, 2015, for an ongoing building and heavy construction wage survey sent to contractors and others. The survey will collect data on wages paid to laborers and mechanics on building and heavy construction projects in Maine between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2014.