May 17, 2016

H&H Lawn Service and Snowplowing to pay $38K in back wages, damages to 11 employees for overtime violations

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act consent judgment

Name of Defendants: H&H Lawn Service and Snowplowing LLC, Muskegon, Michigan
Darrell Hinken

Investigation Findings: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the company and its owner Darrell Hinken violated the FLSA’s overtime and record keeping provisions. 

May 16, 2016

US Labor Department obtains order to stop Arlington restaurant owners from intimidating workers who cooperate with federal investigators

ARLINGTON, Va. – A suburban Washington, D.C.-area restaurant and its owners have entered into an agreement ensuring that they would not intimidate or retaliate against employees who cooperate with a U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour investigation and subsequent ongoing litigation. The owners also agreed to stop soliciting “waivers” from employees to relinquish their rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

May 12, 2016

Vegetable supplier to major grocery chains assessed over $1.4M in civil money penalties after two-year federal investigation

Employer’s names: Red Diamond Enterprises Inc., doing business as Red Diamond Farms
German “Javier” Torres, president and owner

Investigation sites: Wimauma, Sarasota, Quincy and West Palm Beach, Florida

May 12, 2016

Bay Area medical center to pay nearly $38K to employee it fired illegally after the worker sought medical attention

Employers: Muir Orthopedics Specialists

Sites: 2625 Shadeland Drive, Walnut Creek, California

May 12, 2016

US Department of Labor’s ongoing initiative to get hospitality workers the ‘bucks’ they’ve legally earned would make even ‘Bucky Badger’ proud

MADISON, Wis. – In a town where images of the state university’s mascot “Bucky Badger” are common in restaurants and hotels alike, U.S. Department of Labor investigators are actively engaged in an education and enforcement effort to make sure employers do not deny hospitality workers the “bucks” they have earned legally.

May 10, 2016

Lawsuit seeks more than $60K in back wages, damages for 56 nursing assistants employed by Generations Home Care

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act lawsuit filing

Names of Defendant(s): Sage Holding Group Ltd, doing business as Generations Home Care
Vincent F. Salvia

May 9, 2016

Charleston restaurants’ minimum wage, overtime violations result in nearly $217K in back wages for 26 employees

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division at three Charleston area restaurants have found violations of the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a result, the restaurants will pay a total of $216,586 in back wages to 26 employees.

The investigations found the employers:

May 9, 2016

New Jersey commercial cleaning company sold ‘franchises’ to low-wage custodial workers to avoid paying minimum wage, overtime

CLARK, N.J. – People who work as commercial building cleaners often toil late into the night after others have finished their day’s work. They vacuum carpets, sweep, mop and wax floors, clean restrooms, and perform tasks many people fail to notice. Their jobs help others enjoy comfortable and clean environments. They are often among the lowest-paid workers in America.

May 9, 2016

Temporary workers to receive $763K in back wages, damages from jewelry distributer, global mailing company after Labor Department investigations

PHILADELPHIA – The failure by two Philadelphia-area businesses – a custom jewelry distributer and an international shipping and direct mail company – to pay a combined 797 temporary workers minimum wage and overtime will cost the companies a total of $763,000 in back wages and damages.

May 5, 2016

Court appoints receiver to take control of commercial laundry company’s assets after owner ignores court orders, withdraws funds at area casinos

Date of Action: April 29, 2016

Type of Action: Appointment of receiver to cease dissipation of assets

Defendants: Enterprise Laundry Services Inc.
Margaret Matkowska

May 4, 2016

Guam construction contractor pays $367K in overtime back wages, damages to 158 employees after US Labor Department investigation

Employer: Guadencio C. Gozum, doing business as G.C. Gozum Construction

Site: 164 Torres St., Mong Mong, Guam 96910

May 3, 2016

Judge orders Silicon Valley tech company to pay workers more than $160K in back minimum wage, overtime back pay and damages

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal court has entered a consent judgment that orders a Silicon Valley electronics manufacturer to pay more than $80,000 in minimum wage and overtime back pay and an equal, additional amount in damages to its workers after the U.S. Department of Labor discovered violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.  

Nearly $8,000 in civil money penalties were also assessed against the employer.

May 3, 2016

Cincinnati Days Inn pays 6 workers more than $21k in unpaid overtime wages

Date of Action: April 14, 2016

Type of Action: Fair Labor Standards Act consent judgment

Defendant: Gavri LLC doing business as Days Inn, 4056 Mt. Carmel Tobasco Rd., Cincinnati
Sandhya “Lina” Patel

May 2, 2016

Deer Park construction contractor to pay $682K in back wages to 161 workers after US Labor Department investigation

Employer: Allied Foundation Specialists Inc.

Site: 4906 Luella Ave., Deer Park, Texas

Investigation Findings: A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found Allied Foundation Specialists Inc. violated the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

April 26, 2016

Tragedy struck when Georgia auto transport company illegally required minor to operate hazardous equipment

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A 17-year-old worker, who died when a car fell off a hydraulic lift and crushed him in November 2015,  was operating hazardous equipment in violation of federal law at a Savannah motor vehicle shipping facility, the U.S. Department of Labor has determined.

April 21, 2016

US Labor Department conducting wage survey of building construction projects in New York’s Jefferson, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting a building construction survey in New York’s Jefferson, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties to collect data on wages paid to workers on all active building construction projects in those counties between Jan. 1, 2015 and Dec. 31, 2015, New Hampshire between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015. This survey is not limited to federally funded construction projects.

April 20, 2016

US Labor Department investigation helps Boise medical employer correct violations in its FMLA protocols

Employer: St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center

Sites: 390 E. Bannock, Boise, Idaho