U.S. Department of Labor Recovers $429,005 in Back Wages For Georgia Department of Corrections Officers

FORSYTH, GA – The Georgia Department of Corrections has paid $429,005 in back wages to 1,257 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation uncovered overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at more than 40 facilities statewide.

WHD investigators found that the Georgia Department of Corrections failed to pay employees who attended meetings and training for their time spent in those activities. It also failed to pay employees who worked beyond their assigned shifts to ensure coverage when other employees were late for work. In both scenarios, those unpaid hours resulted in overtime violations when employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.

Investigators also determined that the Georgia department failed to pay for any overtime hours worked in excess of 12 hours per pay period. WHD also found that the employer paid out any accrued compensatory time only bi-annually in May and December. This practice resulted in overtime violations when corrections employees left the job before either of these dates, and the state failed to pay out any compensatory time accrued since the previous payout.

"Georgia Department of Corrections' employees perform a difficult, dangerous, and indispensable job that is unquestionably vital to the safety of the community," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Williams, in Atlanta, Georgia. "Their receipt of the wages they are entitled to under the law is imperative. We encourage all employers to make use of the many tools we offer to learn about their responsibilities and comply with the law."

For a complete list of the affected facilities, see the chart that follows this news release.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/whd.

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