U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds Overtime Violations At Georgia Lighting Distribution Center

JEFFERSON, GA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Hubbell Inc. – a lighting manufacturer based in Shelton, Connecticut – will pay $138,753 in back wages and liquidated damages to 829 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at its distribution facility in Jefferson, Georgia.

WHD investigators found that Hubbell Inc. failed to include employees' shift differentials when computing their overtime pay, instead basing their time-and-one-half calculation only on the workers' hourly base rates. Excluding these amounts from the calculation resulted in the employer paying overtime at rates lower than those required by law. The employer also failed to maintain complete and accurate records of the hours employees worked.

"The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have earned for all the hours they have worked," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Williams in Atlanta, Georgia. "We are also determined to ensure that employers who fail to comply with the law do not gain an unfair competitive advantage over those who do. We offer a wide variety of tools to help employers understand their responsibilities, and encourage them to reach out to us for guidance to avoid 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.