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

US Department of Labor finds Hawaii restaurants operator shortchanged cooks in Honolulu, Kailua, failed to pay overtime wages

HONOLULU – A U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found the operator of two Hawaii restaurants denied workers overtime wages, and failed to record the hours of work for its kitchen cooks accurately, both violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

December 17, 2021

US Department of Labor offers virtual seminar to help employers comply with the $15 per hour federal contractor worker minimum wage

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Wage and Hour Division will present virtual compliance seminars for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders to provide information on Executive Order 14026, “Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors.” The Federal Contract Minimum Wage Executive Order applies across the country and its territories and does the following:

December 16, 2021

US Department of Labor offers webinar for auto care workers, employers on workplace wage protections

PHILADELPHIA – By one industry study’s account, more than 290 million cars, trucks, SUVs and vans will be roaming America’s roads in 2022, making the people who maintain and repair these vehicles essential to the nation’s economic stability and growth. Yet, after hundreds of investigations in the auto repair industry in fiscal year 2021, the U.S.

December 16, 2021

New Hampshire wineries, restaurants, event venues operator pays $22,803 in civil penalties for child labor violations

MANCHESTER, NH – The owners of two southern New Hampshire wineries, restaurants, event venues and retail operations in Amherst and Derry violated the child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act when they allowed 33 employees younger than 16 years of age to work more hours than allowed under the law.

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 15, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Garland home healthcare agencies failed to pay $1.2M in minimum wage & overtime wages

DALLAS – Many home healthcare workers performed their jobs heroically in the face of challenges and risks presented by the global pandemic. Yet, their efforts were undercut by industry employers who failed to pay them for the essential, sometimes life-saving work performed. A recent federal investigation found the operators of two related Garland home care agencies underpaid workers in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

December 14, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Santa Fe art delivery company paid drivers per day or per mile, failed to pay overtime wages

SANTA FE, NM – In the nation’s third largest market for fine art, industry employers must meet exacting standards to safeguard and transact their clients’ work. Ironically, a recent federal investigation found the operator of a Santa Fe art delivery service was far less careful when it came to paying all of the wages earned by seven of its drivers.

December 13, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $135K in back wages, damages after investigation finds Washington restaurant willfully violated overtime rules

BELLEVUE, WA – A federal investigation has uncovered overtime pay violations at a Bellevue restaurant that state labor investigators in Washington cited in 2020 for underpaying workers.

December 13, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $90K in back wages for 33 workers at Laurel, Petal auto repair shops after investigation finds violations

PETAL, MS – The operator of two Mississippi auto service and repair shops has come into compliance after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation recovered $90,068 in back wages for 33 workers and determined the employer failed to pay them overtime as the law requires.

December 9, 2021

US Department of Labor finds three Florida beekeeping farms violated H-2A requirements

ORLANDO, FL – Three Florida beekeeping farms felt the sting of civil money penalties for failing to comply with federal laws regarding pay practices and the employment of migrant and seasonal workers.

December 9, 2021

Un tribunal federal ordena a los contratistas de Long Island que paguen casi un millón de dólares en salarios atrasados y daños y perjuicios tras una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU.

NUEVA YORK - Tres empresas de suministro y construcción de hormigón de Bellport y su propietario, que durante tres años no pagaron las horas extras a 99 obreros, han sido condenados a pagar a los trabajadores un total de $987,591 dólares en concepto de salarios atrasados y daños y perjuicios, más intereses, en una sentencia acordada dictada por el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Nueva York.

December 9, 2021

Una empresa de paisajismo de Georgia fue obligado a pagar $175,000 en concepto de multas por salarios atrasados después de que el Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. descubriera violaciones del programa de trabajadores H-2A

SUGAR HILL, GA – Una empresa de paisajismo de Sugar Hill violó los requisitos de los programas federales de trabajadores agrícolas temporarios H-2A con respecto a las horas, los salarios, los costos de transporte y las tareas, según determinó una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU.

December 9, 2021

Georgia landscaper ordered to pay $175K in back wages, penalties after US Department of Labor finds violations of H-2A worker program

SUGAR HILL, GA – A Sugar Hill landscape company violated requirements of the federal H-2A temporary agricultural worker programs related to hours, wages, transportation costs and work assignments, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor determined.

December 9, 2021

Federal court orders Long Island contractors to pay nearly $1M in back wages, damages following US Department of Labor investigation

NEW YORK – Three Bellport concrete supply and construction companies and their owner, who schemed for three years to deny overtime pay to 99 laborers, have been ordered to pay the workers a total of $987,591 in back wages and liquidated damages, plus interest, in a consent judgment entered in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

December 8, 2021

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubre que Chuck E. Cheese expuso a un trabajador menor de edad a una máquina peligrosa y cometió violaciones en lo que respecta al mantenimiento de registros en un establecimiento del Bronx.

NUEVA YORK - Un empleado de 17 años de edad de un restaurante Chuck E. Cheese/Pasqually's Pizza & Wings del Bronx instaló, operó y limpió una mezcladora de masa motorizada, lo que representa una violación de las regulaciones federales de trabajo infantil, según ha descubierto una investigación de la División de Horas y Salarios del Departamento de Trabajo de los Estados Unidos.

December 8, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Chuck E. Cheese exposed minor-aged worker to hazardous machine, incurred recordkeeping violations at Bronx location

NEW YORK – A 17-year-old employee of a Bronx Chuck E. Cheese/Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings restaurant set up, operated and cleaned a power-driven dough mixer – all in violation of federal child labor regulations, a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation has found.

December 8, 2021

US Department of Labor finds IT company violated H-1B visa program when it failed to use, pay system analyst; recovers $64K for worker

DALLAS – An information technology services company in Irving hired a system analyst under the H-1B visa program, then failed to use and pay the worker the required prevailing wage for non-productive time – an illegal practice known as “benching” – a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

December 7, 2021

Federal court finds owner of three Hawaii restaurants shortchanged 71 workers, orders payment of $220K in back wages, damages

HONOLULU – A federal court has affirmed the findings of a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that determined the owner of three Hawaii restaurants denied workers overtime and minimum wages, and discarded time records in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

December 2, 2021

New Hampshire carpentry contractor pays $107K in back wages, liquidated damages to 52 workers shortchanged by illegal pay practices

MANCHESTER, NH – A New Hampshire residential carpentry contractor misclassified some employees as independent contractors and paid others straight-time wages when they worked over 40 hours in a workweek, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.