Wisconsin cleaning company to pay more than $104K in back wages to 56 workers after Labor Department investigation

HORTONVILLE, Wis. – A Wisconsin industrial cleaning contractor failed to pay workers for all their time spent loading trucks and driving to job sites, resulting in violations of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Mid Valley Industrial Services Inc. will pay a total of $104,421 in back wages to 56 workers.

Investigators found minimum wage and overtime violations occurred when employees were not compensated for time spent reporting to the employer’s shop, loading trucks and driving to job sites. Additionally, at least one salaried employee was erroneously classified as exempt from overtime. The company also failed to maintain accurate records of hours worked by employees.

“Workers must be paid for all the hours they work, including time spent traveling between job sites,” said David King, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Minneapolis. “Denying these workers their hard-earned wages provided an economic advantage to this employer on the backs of these workers.  Other employers who may be committing this same violation should take note, and rectify their practices.  Other workers whose hours are being shorted should give our office a call.  All calls to our offices are free and confidential.”

The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards for employees in the private sector and in federal, state, and local governments. Covered, nonexempt workers are entitled to a minimum wage of not less than $7.25 per hour. Overtime pay, at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay, is required after 40 hours in a workweek.  For more information about the FLSA and other federal wage laws, call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information also is available at www.dol.gov/whd/.