U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Court Ordering Tennessee Construction Company to Pay $501,000 in Back Wages and Damages

NASHVILLE, TN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has ordered Reynolds Baldwin III – doing business as Copperhead Construction LLC and formerly as Sara-Tech LLC – to pay $501,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 82 employees to resolve violations of the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Additionally, WHD assessed the Spring Hill, Tennessee-based company $29,000 in civil money penalties.

WHD investigators found Reynolds Baldwin III failed to pay employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. Investigators also found, in some instances, that the company illegally altered time records to record and pay for fewer hours than employees had actually worked. Reynolds Baldwin III also failed to maintain accurate records of hours worked and failed to display required posters in the workplace.

"The Wage and Hour Division will use all of the tools at its disposal to ensure workers receive the wages they have legally earned," said Nashville District Director Nettie Lewis. "This case should remind all employers to ensure their pay practices follow the law, and that we encourage them to contact the Wage and Hour Division with their questions about compliance assistance."

In December 2017, the U.S. Department Labor's Office of the Solicitor filed a complaint against the construction companies and Reynolds Baldwin III to remedy the violations found in the current investigation. Reynolds Baldwin III settled with the Department and the parties filed a consent judgment and order that the court approved on December 4, 2018. In addition to the order to pay the back wages and damages, the court has enjoined Copperhead Construction LLC, Sara-Tech LLC, and Reynolds Baldwin from committing future FLSA violations.

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.