January 21, 2022

Federal court paves way for 16 employees of defunct Bay Area construction company to access $1M in retirement assets

SAN FRANCISCO – Sixteen people participating in an employee retirement plan sponsored by a now defunct Danville construction company will receive distributions of almost $1 million in assets following an investigation and litigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

January 19, 2022

US Department of Labor files lawsuit against San Antonio company seeking $114K in overtime back wages, damages for 79 security guards

SAN ANTONIO – The pay practices of a San Antonio company that exclusively hires military veterans to work as security guards violated federal law and shortchanged 79 employees of $57,465 in overtime back wages, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.  

January 19, 2022

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. presenta una demanda contra una empresa de San Antonio para recuperar $114,000 en salarios atrasados por horas extras, daños y perjuicios para 79 guardias de seguridad

SAN ANTONIO - Las prácticas salariales de una empresa de San Antonio que contrata exclusivamente a veteranos militares para trabajar como guardias de seguridad violaron la ley federal y pagaron $57,465 a 79 empleados en salarios atrasados por horas extras, tras una reciente investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. 

January 12, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $126K for employees after federal court holds Connecticut home healthcare provider in contempt

HARTFORD, CT – The U.S. Marshals Service facilitated the seizure of $126,250 in back wages and liquidated damages and $22,413 in attorney’s fees from the corporate bank account of a New London home healthcare provider after the employers reneged on a payment agreement and defied orders from the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.

January 10, 2022

Court orders Long Island horse trainer, stable to pay $132K to 52 employees after US Department of Labor finds wage theft, falsified records

NEW YORK – A federal court has ordered a prominent Long Island thoroughbred horseracing stable and its owner to pay a total of $132,631 in back wages and liquidated damages to 52 grooms and hot walkers at several locations, including Belmont and Aqueduct racetracks. The stable owner failed to pay workers the overtime wages they earned.

January 6, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers more than $9.3M for Minnesota Employee Stock Ownership Plan after investigation finds plan overpaid for shares

MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than $9.3 million for participants of a Minneapolis manufacturing company’s employee stock ownership plan after the fund overpaid for company stock in 2011, under the terms of a consent judgment entered in a federal court.

January 6, 2022

US Department of Labor administrative judge orders federal contractor to turn over documents as part of federal compliance audit

Date of action:                       Dec. 30, 2021

Type of action:                      Order

Names of defendants:       Convergys Customer Management Group Inc.

January 4, 2022

Fiduciaries to Utica, New York employee stock ownership plan agree to take actions to resolve violations found in US Department of Labor investigation

BOSTON An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor has led the fiduciaries of a Utica, New York, employee stock ownership plan to agree to return $431,000 to the plan’s participants and take action to resolve its Employee Retirement Income Security Act violations.

December 23, 2021

Contractor faces possible incarceration for failing to abide by court’s orders after willfully, repeatedly subjecting roofing workers to serious safety hazards

JACKSONVILLE, FL – A Florida-based roofing contractor – with a long history of exposing his workers to the serious and potentially fatal risks related to falls – faces possible incarceration for his failure to comply with court orders once again.

December 21, 2021

Federal court orders care facility employers to pay attorneys’ fee to US Department of Labor after failing to comply with OSHA subpoena

BOSTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Act authorizes the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue subpoenas to request necessary documents as part of an OSHA inspection. If a recipient fails to comply, the department may then move to enforce the subpoena in federal district court. A recent decision by the U.S.

December 20, 2021

Federal court orders Massachusetts contractor with history of FLSA violations to pay $438K in unpaid overtime to 250 employees

BOSTON – The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has ordered a Massachusetts contractor to pay $438,000 in back wages to 250 employees for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act after the court had previously ordered the contractor to pay punitive damages for unlawful retaliation under the FLSA. Woburn-based JKA Construction Inc. and owners Clesio Da Silva, Fabio Da Costa, Rafael De Paula and Josias De Paula must also pay $64,750 in civil money penalties to the U.S.

December 20, 2021

O tribunal federal condena empresa de Massachusetts com histórico de violações do Ato de Padrões Justos do Trabalho (FLSA) a pagar $438,000 em horas extras não pagas a 250 trabalhadores

BOSTON – O Tribunal Distrital dos EUA para o Distrito de Massachusetts condenou uma empresa de Massachusetts a pagar $438.000 em salários atrasados a 250 trabalhadores por violação do Ato dos Padrões Justos de Trabalho , depois de o tribunal ter previamente ordenado o contratante a pagar indenização por danos punitivos por retaliação ilegal sob a FLSA.

December 20, 2021

Tribunal federal ordena a contratista de Massachusetts con antecedentes de violaciones laborales al pago de $438,000 en horas extras a 250 empleados

BOSTON – El Tribunal de Distrito de EE.UU. por el distrito de Massachusetts ha ordenado a un contratista de Massachusetts pagar $438,000 en salarios atrasados a 250 empleados por violaciones de la Ley de Normas Laborales Justas después de que el tribunal ya ordenara al contratista pagar compensación por daños por represalias.

December 16, 2021

Federal investigation, consent judgment leads to recovery of $170K in back wages, damages for 17 workers at two Austin-area restaurants

AUSTIN, TX – A federal investigation and consent judgment has recovered $170,000 in back wages and liquidated damages from the operator of two Austin-area restaurants who denied overtime to 17 kitchen workers who labored 60 hours a week. The probe found the restaurants’ operator later submitted falsified documents to investigators to make it appear they had paid overtime pay to resolve Fair Labor Standards Act violations found by the U.S.

December 14, 2021

Federal court holds Wisconsin business owner in contempt for failing to comply with the court’s prior order to restore $53,122 to employee benefit plan

MADISON, WI – A U.S. District Court judge in Wisconsin has held a Madison business owner in civil contempt of court after he failed to comply with a March 2021 consent order and judgment requiring him to restore $53,122 to the Thunderbird Engineering Inc. company’s 401(k) Plan.

November 18, 2021

US Department of Labor orders Houston crane company to pay nearly $24K to worker who refused to violate federal law

HOUSTON – A federal whistleblower investigation led the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to order a Houston mobile crane rental company to pay a former employee nearly $24,000 in back wages, interest and damages after firing the worker in June 2020 for refusing to drive in excess of federal limits and reported fatigue.

November 17, 2021

US Department of Labor alleges global truck manufacturer fired worker concerned about coronavirus safety at Texas facility

DENTON, TX – As the coronavirus began to spread rapidly across the nation in March 2020, an employee of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks told a supervisor of their concerns about exposure to the virus at the Denton facility.

November 17, 2021

US Department of Labor, Travis County District Attorney commit to expand, improve protection of workers’ wages, enforcement of laws

AUSTIN, TX – Officials from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand and improve the protection of Travis County’s workforce, enforcement of wage laws and level the playing field for responsible employers. 

November 10, 2021

US Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission align to end retaliation, promote workers’ rights

WASHINGTON The U.S. Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission today announced a joint initiative to raise awareness about retaliation issues when workers exercise their protected labor rights.

November 8, 2021

Federal court orders Beaver County gas station, convenience store to pay nearly $300K in back wages, damages, penalties for wage, overtime violations

MONACA, PA – A federal court has ordered a Beaver County gas station and convenience store to cease violating the Fair Labor Standards Act and pay back wages and liquidated damages to two underpaid employees. The judgment follows a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that determined the owners of Monaca Sunoco, located at 1479 Old Brodhead Road, intentionally underpaid a married couple who lived and worked there.