September 8, 2021

Court finds personal injury law firm, owner failed to pay overtime; Department demands payment of $26K in back wages, liquidated damages to 42 Alabama workers

AUBURN, AL – Following an investigation and federal court order, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered $26,496 in back wages and liquidated damages from a personal injury law firm in Auburn, Alabama, that failed to pay overtime to 42 workers.

September 1, 2021

US Department of Labor encourages Kansas’ heavy construction industries to submit data to help establish accurate prevailing wages

KANSAS CITY, KS – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division routinely collects data to help the division establish accurate prevailing wage rates and fringe benefits, required by the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. The division is currently surveying active heavy construction projects from Jan. 1, 2020 to Dec. 31, 2020 in any of Kansas’ metropolitan counties.

September 1, 2021

Federal court orders Fishtown bar, bottle shop to pay nearly $520K in back wages, damages, penalties after US Labor Department investigation

PHILADELPHIA – The operator of a popular Fishtown bar and bottle shop that prides itself on offering Philadelphia’s largest selection of beer and wine appeared to be less focused on paying its bartenders and servers as the law requires, a federal investigation found and a consent judgement entered in a U.S. District Court confirmed.

August 30, 2021

Surfside Beach restaurant pays more than $75K in back wages to 10 workers after US Department of Labor finds employer shortchanged tipped employees

SURFSIDE BEACH, SC – Restaurant servers work hard and put their safety at risk throughout the pandemic. They depend on diners’ tips to earn a living wage, but 10 workers at a Surfside Beach restaurant found their wages reduced illegally by the establishment’s manager and owner who required servers to share tips with them.

August 30, 2021

New Jersey healthcare staffing company pays $263K to 46 workers at veterans’ medical centers following US Department of Labor investigation

NEW YORK – When Mitchell Martin Health Care LLC contracted with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in 2020 to provide registered nurses and respiratory therapists to help care for an influx of coronavirus-related patients at four DVA medical centers in the New York City area, it committed to complying with federal wage and contracting laws.

August 30, 2021

Sanford contractor pays more than $334K in back wages to 212 workers to resolve violations found in US Department of Labor investigation

ORLANDO, FL – Since 1995, the U.S. Department of Labor has investigated the pay practices of a Sanford heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor eight times and found violations in six of its inquiries – leading to the recovery of $155,865 in back wages for more than 440 workers.

August 26, 2021

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubre violaciones salariales en un distribuidor de mariscos en Luisiana y recupera $138,000 para 100 trabajadores

CROWLEY, LA - Una investigación federal por una denuncia relacionada con el coronavirus dio lugar a una remisión al Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. y a una investigación que recuperó $138,629 en salarios atrasados para 100 empleados de un procesador de mariscos del suroeste de Luisiana.

August 26, 2021

US Department of Labor finds wage violations at southwest Louisiana seafood distributor, recovers $138K for 100 workers

CROWLEY, LA – A coronavirus-related federal whistleblower investigation prompted a referral to the U.S. Department of Labor and an investigation that recovered $138,629 in back wages for 100 employees of a southwest Louisiana seafood processor.

August 25, 2021

Maryland subcontractor pays $531K in back wages to 45 ironworkers after US Department of Labor investigation

CLINTON, MD – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered $531,173 in back wages for 45 ironworkers subcontracted for federally funded construction at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda. Investigators found their employer failed to pay them the required prevailing wages and benefits for ironworkers.

August 25, 2021

US Department of Labor finds wage violations at northeast Louisiana drug and alcohol recovery center, recovers $23K in back wages for six workers

RAYVILLE, LA – Like many in the addiction treatment industry, Rayville Recovery employees work long hours – beyond regular shifts and on weekends – to help individuals overcome their drug and alcohol dependence. A recent federal investigation found Rayville failed to pay some of these essential workers legally when they worked overtime. 

August 24, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $78K for 34 workers after investigations find overtime violations at three South Carolina auto centers

COLUMBIA, SC – Three South Carolina auto centers have paid more than $78,000 to 34 workers, recovered by the U.S. Department of Labor after its investigators found the employers failed to pay overtime in violation of federal law. 

August 24, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers more than $235K in back wages for 131 workers of Georgia home healthcare service

ATLANTA – Home care aides tend to the needs of people when they are most vulnerable, often putting their own health at risk. A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found that an Atlanta-area home care service failed to pay these essential workers the overtime they earned and are legally due.

August 24, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Louisiana landscape, pest control enterprise violated guest worker program; recovers $20K in back wages for 133 workers

CENTRAL, LA – An East Baton Rouge Parish landscape and pest control company failed to disclose housing deductions in its H-2B application and failed to pay for all meals during travel periods for 133 guest workers, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found. 

August 24, 2021

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubrió que una empresa de paisajismo y control de plagas de Luisiana violó el programa de trabajadores invitados; recupera $20,000 en salarios atrasados para 133 trabajadores

CENTRAL, LA - Una empresa de jardinería y control de plagas de East Baton Rouge Parish no declaró las deducciones por alojamiento en su solicitud H-2B y no pagó todas las comidas durante los periodos de viaje de 133 trabajadores invitados, según lo descubrió una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. 

August 24, 2021

Marianna facility for persons with developmental disabilities to pay $304K in back wages after US Department of Labor finds special wage rate violations

MARIANNA, FL A state-funded center for persons with developmental disabilities in northern Florida will pay $304,466 in back wages to 163 workers due to incomplete training and recordkeeping in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

August 23, 2021

Pensacola auto dealer pays $36K in back wages to resolve minimum wage, overtime violations found in US Department of Labor investigation

PENSACOLA, FL – Employees at a Pensacola car dealership received more money in their paychecks after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found the auto dealer failed to pay minimum wage and overtime as required under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

August 20, 2021

US Department of Labor obtains consent order restraining Danbury bakery, owner from retaliating against employees who cooperate with wage investigation

HARTFORD, CT – A Danbury bakery and its owner may not threaten, terminate or cause harm to current or former workers who cooperate with a U.S. Department of Labor investigation of the bakery’s employment practices, a federal court in Hartford has ordered in a consent preliminary injunction obtained by the department.

August 19, 2021

Lansing contractor pays 18 subcontracted workers $26K in back wages, fringe benefits after US Department of Labor investigation

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The prime contractor responsible for construction of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans paid back wages and benefits to 18 workers on the project after a federal investigation found the subcontractor who employed them had shortchanged them.

August 18, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $1.7M in back wages, fringe benefits for 81 employees wrongly classified by defense contractor in 21 states

DETROIT– A South Carolina-based contractor that processes identification cards for members of the armed forces, their families, retirees, government contractors and civilians has paid $1,705,441 in back wages and fringe benefits to 81 employees after the company violated the requirements of the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act.

August 18, 2021

Athens tobacco, liquor stores pay more than $71K in back wages after US Department of Labor finds wage violations at two locations

ATHENS, GA – Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor sometimes find employers that illegally pay straight-time wages for overtime hours in an effort to curb operating costs. Far less often they find what the operator of two Athens tobacco and liquor stores was doing – paying workers even less than their normal hourly rate of pay for their overtime hours.