Portland roofing company to return nearly $38K in overtime wages to 32 workers

Employer: Ri-Ky Roofing

Sites: 10213 NE Marx St., Portland, Oregon

Investigation findings: The employer failed to compensate roofers for all the hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek at the required overtime rate of time and one-half their regular hourly rates of pay in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Instead, Ri-Ky Roofing paid many of the overtime hours worked at an even lower rate than their regular hourly rate and in cash. The employer also was found in violation of recordkeeping obligations under the FLSA for failing to maintain accurate records of hours worked by employees.

Resolution: Investigators from the Wage and Hour Division's Portland District Office established that 32 employees were owed $37,931 in unpaid overtime wages. Ri-Ky Roofing has agreed to pay all the overtime back wages due.

Quote: "An employer subject to the wage and hour provisions of the FLSA cannot undermine the worker's basic right to receive the legally required overtime pay at time and one half the employee's rate of pay," said Thomas L. Silva, the division's district director in Portland. "Hardworking employees deserve way better and should never have to worry about shortages in their paychecks."

Information: For more information about federal wage laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division, call the agency's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information also is available at http://www.dol.gov/whd/.