WAUSAU, WI – A federal court has ordered a Wisconsin-based multicounty medical care partnership to pay $162,486 in back wages and liquidated damages to 68 case managers after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employer did not pay case managers all wages owed for off-the-clock work, including overtime. 

Entered in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, the consent judgment follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that found case managers employed by North Central Community Services Program and Affiliates – doing business as North Central Health Care – were working unrecorded hours. 

The department’s complaint alleged that between June 17, 2021, and June 16, 2023, North Central Health Care violated overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to record and  pay case managers for all hours worked, including overtime. Under the FLSA, employers must pay nonexempt employees no less than time and one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Employers are also required to record all compensable time worked each day, even time worked in small increments, in order to determine an employee’s regular rate of pay.

Entered on Dec. 4, 2025, the judgment requires North Central Health Care to pay $81,243 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to the 68 employees. Additionally, the employer is enjoined from future FLSA violations. 

Workers and employers 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 FLSA minimum wage and overtime violations, 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.

BOISE, ID – The U.S. Department of Labor has entered into a settlement agreement with the owner of two Boise restaurants that failed to pay minimum wage and overtime to 388 workers, in violation of federal law. 

The department’s Wage and Hour Division recovered $366,261 in back wages for 388 workers after the division’s investigators found that Coa de Jima Inc., operating as Coa De Jima Restaurant, and LDC Investment Group Inc., operating as Barbacoa Grill, illegally included managers and supervisors in a mandatory tip pool. By including management, the tip pool was invalidated and the employer lost their tip credit, resulting in minimum wage and overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

The division also found that the employer deducted uniform costs from workers’ pay, reducing their pay below the required FLSA minimum wage requirements. In addition, the employer only paid employees overtime premiums after they exceeded 80 hours in a pay period, instead of the legally required time-and-one-half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. 

“Wage violations, including employers diverting workers’ tips, are a major concern for restaurant industry workers,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum in Portland, Oregon. “Federal law protects workers’ rights to be paid their earned wages in full. The Wage and Hour Division offers assistance to help restaurant employers comply with the law and avoid these kinds of violations.”

The division also found that the employer incorrectly classified some managers as overtime exempt, despite those individuals not meeting the duty requirements for the exemption. In addition to paying $366,261 in back wages, the settlement agreement requires Barbacoa Grill, Coa De Jima Restaurant, and owner Nikolai Castoro to pay a $47,282 civil money penalty for willful violations, assessed by the division. The investigation determined that the violations were willful because the employer showed a reckless disregard for the requirements of the FLSA.

The FLSA requires that most employees be paid overtime at time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. 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 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 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Download the agency’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.

PHOENIX – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment to recover $147,708 in back wages and liquidated damages for 61 roofers whose employer withheld overtime wages, in violation of federal law.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division determined the Phoenix-based Collum Roofing Inc. neglected to pay workers the legally required time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The employer paid hourly rates for some jobs and piece rates for others which resulted in straight-time pay for all hours worked but failed to maintain time records for work performed under the piece rate, which is necessary to determine the number of hours worked for purposes of minimum wage and overtime compliance.

The July 11, 2025, judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona against Collum Roofing operators Robert and Michael Collum follows an investigation by the division that found the employer’s pay practices from May 7, 2021, through April 26, 2024, violated federal recordkeeping and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Any employer found denying workers their required wages will be held accountable by the U.S. Department of Labor. In this instance, Collum Roofing’s actions were particularly egregious because the employer was aware of the wage law that required workers to be paid time-and-a-half for every hour worked over 40 in a workweek,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Mitchell Wood in Phoenix. “Employers are legally responsible for ensuring they pay workers their FLSA wages and may face costly consequences when our investigators find they fail to uphold that obligation.” 

To address the willful nature of the violations, the division assessed Collum Roofing a $12,320 civil money penalty.

The FLSA requires that most employees in the U.S. 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 Fair Labor Standards Act, 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.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division today announced it has recovered more than $259 million in back wages for nearly 177,000 employees nationwide – an average of $1,465 per worker – in fiscal year 2025, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening the American workforce.

“Under the leadership of President Trump and Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer, the Department is enforcing the laws fully and fairly to promote equal competition for all job creators while protecting the rights and earnings of American workers,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Andrew Rogers. 

In addition to recovering more back wages than in any year since 2019, the division also enhanced its compliance assistance efforts by providing new guidance and tools aimed at helping employers stay informed of their obligations. The agency created an improved compliance assistance hub, updated compliance videos on the Fair Labor Standards Act, and created a YouTube series on the Family and Medical Leave Act. The division also relaunched its opinion letter program and the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, which 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 FMLA.

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.

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.

FRESNO, CA – A federal court has ordered a California-based agriculture employer and its owners to pay back wages and penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation determined the employer neglected to transport agricultural workers in safe vehicles, related to a deadly crash, a violation of federal law.

The court action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into Lion Farms LLC after a Feb. 23, 2024, fatal vehicle crash that claimed the lives of seven employees and severely injured another. The division found that Lion Farms – owned and operated by Alfred, Bruce, and Daniel Lion – violated the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act by failing to ensure agricultural workers were transported to and from their field sites in safe vehicles, and using unlicensed drivers and vehicles without adequate insurance coverage.

The Lion Farms employers also charged workers a transportation fee, which investigators deemed illegal because of the violations associated with the transportation of the workers. The division calculated that the employers owed $39,013 in back wages to 12 employees. The employers also failed to disclose workers’ permanent addresses and employer identification numbers on wage statements. 

The consent judgment, entered on Aug. 26, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, enjoins the employers from future MSPA violations and ordered Lion Farms LLC and its owners to pay $89,886 in civil money penalties on top of the $39,013 in back wages.

“Federal agricultural laws have strict provisions that must be met for employers to employ migrant and seasonal workers,” said Regional Solicitor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco. “This case serves as a stark and solemn reminder of the importance of these provisions. We will continue to use every litigation tool at our disposal to ensure employers meet their obligations and bad actors are held accountable.”

Headquartered in Selma, California, Lion Farms LLC cultivates, grows, and harvests approximately 871 acres of grapes for raisins in Fresno and Madera counties. The company sells their raisins to Lion Raisins Inc. and other packing houses for distribution to major retailers nationwide.

The Wage and Hour Division offers multiple compliance assistance resources, including an agriculture compliance assistance toolkit, to provide employers the information they need to comply with the law. Employers and workers can contact the division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE (487-9243).

The division’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 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.

ESCONDIDO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring an Escondido drywall construction contractor to pay $790,000 in back wages, damages, and penalties after a federal investigation found the employer failed to pay the federally required minimum wage and overtime to 580 workers.

The court action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into Innovative Wall Systems Inc. – operating as Alta Drywall. Federal investigators found that the employer did not accurately keep records of hours worked, including pre- and post-shift work, travel between jobsites, or work performed on Saturdays. The employer also neglected to pay workers the required overtime rate of time-and-one-half for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek, resulting in Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wage and overtime violations.

“Even when employers pay workers on a per-unit basis, they must track the hours those employees work and pay overtime when they exceed 40 hours in a workweek,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Ginny Gomez in Sacramento. 

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Sept. 12, 2025, the order enjoins Innovative Wall Systems Inc. and president and chief executive officer Jason Shane Bellamy, from future FLSA violations and requires them to pay the affected employees $385,000 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages. In addition, the employer must pay a $20,000 civil money penalty for the willful nature of the violations.

“This consent judgment and order send a strong message that the Department of Labor will exercise its full enforcement authority when employees are paid well below their legally earned wages,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco. “The Solicitor’s Office will seek all relief available under the Fair Labor Standards Act when we face employers – like those here – that falsify payroll records to attempt to hide overtime violations.”

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 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 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Download the agency’s free timesheet app, available for Android and iOS devices, to track hours and pay.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division today issued six opinion letters designed to promote clarity, consistency, and transparency in the application of federal labor standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act.

The opinion letters provide official written interpretations from the division that address real-world questions and explain how laws apply to specific factual circumstances presented by individuals or organizations, that may also have a broader interest to those impacted by the issue presented.

“The Wage and Hour Division is committed to providing opinion letters that help American workers and businesses operate within the law so they can focus on meeting the needs of their customers,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Andrew Rogers. “We want to help them succeed. Our goal is to empower employers and workers with the tools and knowledge they need to prevent violations before they happen.”

The opinion letters issued today are:

• FLSA2026-1: Whether an employee’s role meets the criteria for the learned professional exemption under section 13(a)(1) of the FLSA, and, if so, whether an employer is nevertheless permitted to reclassify the employee as non-exempt.
• FLSA2026-2: Whether section 7(e) of the FLSA permits an employer to exclude certain bonus payments from an employee’s regular rate of pay. The letter also addresses how to include these payments in the calculation of employee overtime premiums if the payments must be included in an employee’s regular rate of pay.
• FLSA2026-3: Whether a union and employer can enter into a collective bargaining agreement that mandates a 15-minute “roll call” prior to each scheduled shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the FLSA.
• FLSA2026-4: Whether, for purposes of the overtime exemption for certain commissioned employees in section 7(i) of the FLSA, an employer in a jurisdiction in which the state minimum wage exceeds the federal minimum wage must use the federal minimum wage, or alternatively, the higher state minimum wage, to determine whether it has satisfied the minimum pay standard in section 7(i)(1), and whether tips are deemed compensation for purposes of section 7(i)(2)’s requirement that more than half the employee’s compensation consist of commissions.
• FMLA2026-1: How a school closure of less than a full week impacts the amount of leave a school employee uses under the FMLA.
• FMLA2026-2: Whether FMLA leave may be used for time spent traveling to or from medical appointments, including where an employee provided the employer with medical certification from a health care provider that confirms the employee’s need for the appointment, but the certification does not address travel to or from the appointment.

In June, Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling announced the launch of the department’s opinion letter program, which expands the department’s longstanding commitment to providing meaningful compliance assistance that helps workers, employers, and other stakeholders understand how federal labor laws apply in specific workplace situations.

The public is encouraged to use the division’s new opinion letters page to explore past guidance and submit new requests. The division will exercise discretion in determining whether and how it will respond to each request, which will focus primarily on attempting to address issues of broad-based concern.

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 Family and Medical Leave Act.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $17,311 in back wages from a Rowland Heights restaurant for nine workers who were denied proper overtime and earned tips, in violation of federal wage laws.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division found that Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen, ran an unlawful tip pool arrangement, directing supervisors to only distribute a portion of earned tips to servers. The owners of the restaurant retained a percentage of the tips. The employer also failed to pay some employees the full, time-and-one-half rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, both violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The division also found Ma’s Kitchen failed to keep accurate time records and payroll records of tips and cash paid to employees, FLSA recordkeeping violations. The employer faces a $2,985 civil money penalty for the willful nature of the violations.

“Burdening employees with business expenses takes hard-earned wages out of workers’ pockets,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Rafael Valles in West Covina, California. “That’s why the U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring employers pay workers their fully earned wages in compliance with federal law, and its Wage and Hour Division will use every enforcement tool necessary to resolve cases like this.”

Employers and workers alike can contact the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act overtime requirements.

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 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Workers and employers can also track hours worked and pay by downloading the department’s free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has found a San Bernardino roofing and painting contractor denied 62 employees pay for some of their hours worked, a violation of federal wage laws. 

Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division found Howard & Sons Inc. failed to include pre- and post-shift hours employees spent collecting and returning needed supplies from stores and storage sheds. The employer also neglected to include time employees worked beyond the scheduled hours, as well as time worked on Saturdays. The employer’s failure to keep accurate records of hours worked by employees resulted in overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Howard & Sons will pay $267,177 in owed back wages to 62 employees who were denied overtime pay. In addition, the division assessed the employer a $53,010 civil penalty to address the willful nature of the violations. 

“It is the employer’s responsibility to know how many hours their employees work for the business and to pay them accordingly for all hours worked,” said Assistant District Director Rafael Valles in West Covina, California. “When employees are required to pick up supplies, shop, and set up equipment as part of their preparation for their hands-on work at the job site, employers must understand these duties are FLSA hours worked. As the back wages in this case illustrate, we are committed to ensuring that workers receive all wages due including overtime pay.”

Howard & Sons Inc. provides residential and industrial roofing and painting services and has offices in San Bernardino and San Diego.

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 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 Family and Medical Leave Act.

Download the agency’s free timesheet app, available for Android and iOS devices, to track hours and pay.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $596,443 for 31 workers who were denied their full wages and fringe benefits by a Maryland-based subcontractor involved in a kickback scheme during the construction of two affordable housing developments funded by the District of Columbia.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigated J. Solano HVAC LLC – an air conditioning, heating, and ventilation company based in Silver Spring, Maryland – and its owner, Jose Williams Solano, and found they violated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts while working as a subcontractor on the Carl F. West Estates and Northwest One Phase 2 projects, both located in northwest Washington, D.C. 

The department determined J. Solano HVAC and Solano made verbal agreements with sheet metal workers and pipefitter mechanics that they would receive the full prevailing wage rate via check but then required workers to return any wages they received that exceeded $30 per hour. Additionally, the department found the employer wrongly classified some workers as lower-skilled laborers. In doing so, the employer did not pay the proper prevailing wage rates, including the basic hourly rate, holiday pay, and fringe benefits, in violation of the DBRA. 

The division debarred J. Solano HVAC LLC and its owner from bidding on federally funded construction projects for a period of three years because of the willful nature of the violations. 

“By uncovering this scheme, the department ensured that workers were paid fairly, received their full fringe benefits, and that competing contractors were not disadvantaged for appropriately bidding for work based on the required prevailing wage rates,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicholas Fiorello, in Baltimore. “Employers that don’t abide by federal contract requirements may end up being debarred from future government contract work.” 

The Carl F. West Estates will create 179 affordable units reserved for seniors and grandfamilies. Northwest One Phase 2 is a six-story multifamily housing development. Both received funds from the District of Columbia. 

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division and the DBRA. 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. 

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 Family and Medical Leave Act.