WASHINGTON − The U.S. Department of Labor today announced it will host a two-day online forum to provide meaningful compliance assistance related to federal laws governing wages, safety, and other workplace issues. 

The Protecting America’s Workforce forum will begin with opening remarks from Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling and proceed to panel discussions and presentations with representatives from the department’s Wage and Hour Division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. 

In addition, enforcement and compliance representatives from the Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will participate.

“Workers and businesses deserve clear, practical guidance on compliance with the laws enforced by the Department of Labor,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “We are proud to collaborate with our partners across the federal government to provide a platform for expert-level presentations designed to foster improvements to workplaces across America.” 

The event, which will be held May 6-7, will provide valuable information on various workplace topics such as the department’s self-audit programs, OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign, the relaunch of the department’s opinion letters program, veterans’ employment rights, child labor laws, government contract prevailing wage requirements, and Registered Apprenticeships.

Forum attendance is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Once registered, additional information, including links to sessions, will be provided. 

Read more about the 2026 Department of Labor forum, including the agenda for the two-day event. 

MCMINNVILLE, OR – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found a McMinnville restaurant incorrectly categorized 19 workers as exempt, not paying them the legally required overtime premium, and used workers’ tips to supplement base wages, all violations of federal wage law. 

Division investigators determined that Taste of India 1 violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying 19 non-exempt employees straight-time rather than the overtime rate of time and one-half the regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Taste of India 1 also illegally used workers’ tips to supplement base wages, establishing an invalid tip pool. 

As a result of the investigation, the division recovered $200,137 in back wages and $15,256 in civil money penalties assessed against the employer for the willful nature of the violations.

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced today it will offer webinars on prevailing wage requirements for contractors, contracting agencies, unions, workers, and other stakeholders involved in federally funded projects and service contracts. 

As part of its ongoing effort to increase awareness and improve compliance, the division will host two-day online seminars with sessions on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, Service Contract Act, and other topics. Participants can choose between the sessions offered on either of the two days. 

Webinars are scheduled for May 20-21 and Sept. 23-24. Seminar attendance is free, but registration is required. Once registered, additional information including links to sessions will be provided. 

These events help educate federal contractors seeking opportunities to employ skilled workers in communities across America. These programs are part of the department’s commitment to providing employers with useful training and assistance to avoid non-compliance with prevailing wage laws.

For more information about the Davis-Bacon Act, the Service Contract Act, and other federal wage laws, please call the division’s toll-free helpline at 1-866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

Learn more about related federal wage regulations and check for updates on the seminars.

SAN JUAN, PR – The U.S. Department of Labor is looking for 204 current or former officers of the Puerto Rico Police Department, who worked between June 13, 2010, and August 31, 2014, and are owed back wages as part of a 2016 federal court order.

The order required the Puerto Rico Police Department to pay $8,732,386 in back wages and interest to 2,642 current and former police officers. The police department has delivered back wages to most of these workers. However, the police department was unable to contact 204 of the affected employees who are due $128,704.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is now responsible for distributing these back wages and wants the affected workers to know that they can still claim their back wages. Even if employees received some installment payments, the division may have additional funds to distribute.

“The Wage and Hour Division is determined to deliver back wages to all affected workers who earned them. We encourage these workers to contact us at 1-202-343-5524 or use our online search tool, Workers Owed Wages, to find out if they are owed back wages,” said Wage and Hour Division Caribbean District Director José R. Vázquez in Puerto Rico. “Please use the search term ‘PR Police’ when using the Workers Owed Wages system.”

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division found that between June 2010 and August 2014, the commonwealth’s police department willfully committed numerous violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, most significantly regarding the failure to pay overtime properly.

Employers and workers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

AUSTIN, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $63,645 for eight workers after an investigation found an area restaurant violated federal wage and hour laws. 

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that El Beto’s Tacos LLC – doing business as Beto’s Restaurant and Bar – failed to pay for overtime hours worked and illegally deducted wages from tipped employees, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Division investigators determined that on average, employees worked over eight overtime hours weekly, but Beto’s did not pay them the required overtime premium of time-and-one-half per hour. Additionally, the employer did not compensate workers for duties performed after completion of their shifts. The division also found that the employer deducted uniform expenses from the wages of tipped employees, resulting in the workers being paid less than the minimum wage for all hours worked.

“Wage violations, including failing to track and pay for all hours worked, continue to be a major concern for workers in the food services industry,” said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Charles Frasier, in Houston, Texas. “The Wage and Hour Division offers assistance to employers to help them avoid these kinds of violations and will continue to assure that workers get all the pay they have earned.”

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act. 

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

NASHVILLE, TN – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $30,442 in back wages for a former university auditor whose employer violated their rights to protected leave.

Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division found the University of Tennessee forced an auditor to resign after they requested to use protected leave for a qualifying health condition under the Family and Medical Leave Act. While the employee was on approved intermittent leave, the university told the employee they needed to resign or they would be fired. 

The investigators also determined the employer failed to supply its employees with a complete policy that provided information about employee rights and responsibilities under the FMLA.

“Federal law allows for critical workplace rights precisely when workers need them the most. Qualifying leave is established by law, and employers cannot simply deprive eligible workers of their legal right to family and medical leave and force them to make the hard choice between keeping their jobs and caring for themselves or their families,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Lisa Kelly in Nashville, Tennessee. 

In addition to providing leave in certain circumstances, employers are required to inform employees that they may be eligible for FMLA leave within five business days of learning their requests could qualify. Employers must also:

• Reinstate workers to the same or equivalent positions after taking FMLA leave.
• Record, maintain, and calculate the amount of FMLA leave taken.
• Provide notice of FMLA rights and responsibilities, as required by law.
• Designate leave as FMLA-qualifying when appropriate.

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as certain potential violations under the FMLA.

Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s free Android and iOS Timesheet App.  

EUGENE, OR – A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found an Oregon-based Korean barbeque chain restaurant violated federal law when it allowed a teen employee to work more than permissible hours, denied workers overtime pay, and improperly kept employees’ tips.

Investigators from the department's Wage and Hour Division discovered that the owners of Kkoki Korean BBQ allowed a 15-year-old employee to regularly work more than three hours on school days, past 9 p.m. between June 1 and Labor Day, and more than 40 hours in a workweek, all violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

Additionally, the employer failed to provide overtime pay for employees’ hours worked over 40 in a workweek and permitted a restaurant manager to unlawfully participate in the employee tip pool and retain tips that belonged exclusively to the tipped employees. 

The investigation resulted in the recovery of $58,569 in back wages for 32 workers, along with $38,416 in civil money penalties for repeated and willful violations, as well as child labor violations.

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

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NEWPORT BEACH, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment to recover $468,505 in back wages and damages for 137 construction workers denied minimum wage and overtime pay by a Newport Beach construction company, in violation of federal law. 

On Dec. 17, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California approved the judgment against SCA General Contracting and operators Sundeep Pandhoh and Gary Tetone. The court action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that found the employers’ pay practices violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

From Nov. 1, 2024, through Nov. 30, 2025, the division determined that the employers repeatedly missed payroll, failed to pay workers minimum wage, did not pay overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, and retaliated against employees who complained about their missing pay. 

“Employers will be held accountable by the Wage and Hour Division if they commit wage violations or retaliate against workers who exercise their rights,” said Acting Western Regional Administrator Cesar Avila. “We encourage workers who experience retaliation to contact us for help. We are also available to provide assistance to employers who have questions about minimum wage and overtime compliance.”

The department obtained a court order requiring SCA to pay the workers for the missed payroll and to reinstate an employee who was terminated for complaining about pay. 

“Employees count on being paid accurately and timely, and the law protects them when they complain to their employer when they're not. As we did against SCA General Contracting and Sundeep Pandhoh, the Solicitor's Office will take swift legal action against any employer that fails to pay employees their timely paychecks or retaliates against them for asking to be paid,” said Regional Solicitor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco. 

The FLSA requires that most employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay at not less than time and one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for Android and iOS devices to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

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JACKSON, MS – The U.S. Department of Labor recovered $122,476 in back wages for 140 workers following an investigation that found a Mendenhall-based cooling, heating, and electrical employer failed to pay workers their full wages, in violation of federal law.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that AirSouth LLC – operating as AirSouth Cooling and Heating – did not include non-discretionary bonuses when calculating overtime wages for workers and failed to issue final paychecks to two employees in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.  

“The U.S. Department of Labor is dedicated to ensuring that workers receive the wages they have rightfully earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. “This case serves as an important reminder for employers to review and assess their pay practices to help prevent violations. The Wage and Hour Division is available to help employers who have questions about minimum wage and overtime compliance.”

Established in 2016, AirSouth LLC’s headquarters is in Mendenhall and the employer has another branch in Greenville.

Employers and workers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits and to review relevant opinion letters and other guidance to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can call the division with questions and requests for compliance assistance through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s free Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

AUSTIN, TX – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $85,197 in back wages for 36 employees after an investigation found a coffee bar and lounge in Buda operated an illegal tip pool.

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Nate's At The Buda Mill & Grain Inc. – operating as Nate's Coffee & Cocktails – violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by allowing its general manager to participate in the employee tip pool. This invalidated the employer’s use of the tip credit and required the employer to pay full minimum wage to affected workers, which the company failed to pay. 

The FLSA permits an employer to take a tip credit toward its minimum wage obligations for tipped employees if employees receive enough tips from customers and direct wages per workweek to equal at least the minimum wage compensation required under federal law. However employers, including managers and supervisors, may not keep any portion of employees’ tips for any purpose.

“By law, managers and supervisors are not allowed to retain employees’ tips or participate in a tip pool. Service workers are entitled to all the tips they earn from customers and managers are not permitted to take away those rewards given for employees’ hard work,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Charles Frasier, in Houston. “Employers are encouraged to contact us for any questions about their obligations under the law. We are here to provide assistance.”

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency’s industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency’s PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.