News Brief
US Department of Labor recovers $45K in back wages, damages for Oklahoma healthcare workers denied overtime wages
Employer: The Heart and Medical Center
Investigation sites: 2701 W. University Blvd.
Durant, OK 74701
Investigation findings: Investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer paid only the first 40 hours worked per week, and did not accurately record the hours worked over 40 to avoid paying its healthcare workers time and a half for overtime hours. The employer also failed to pay for missed lunch breaks that were automatically deducted from workers’ time. By doing so, the employer violated recordkeeping and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Back Wages and Damages: $22,728 in back wages and equal amount in liquidated damages for 25 workers
Quote: “Unfortunately, the violations in this case are common in the healthcare industry. The Heart and Medical Center failed to pay employees for missed lunch breaks and denied them pay for overtime hours. When employers deprive workers of their full wages, they make it harder for them to care for themselves and their families,” said Wage and Hour District Director Michael Speer in Oklahoma City. “The U.S. Department of Labor is working with the healthcare industry nationally to educate employers to get workers paid properly and to help employers avoid the costly consequences of violating the law.”
Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. The division also offers numerous online resources for employers, such as a fact sheet on the Fair Labor Standards Act overtime requirements. Workers who feel they may not be getting the wages they earned may contact a Wage and Hour Division representative in their state through a list and interactive online map on the agency’s website. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free.
