U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Colorado Company Paying $77,238 in Back Wages to Resolve FLSA Violations

MILLIKEN, CO – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Burnco Colorado LLC - doing business as Bestway Concrete and Aggregates - has paid $77,238 in back wages to 406 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) overtime requirements at the company's facilities in Milliken, Colorado, and Irvin, Texas.

WHD investigators found the employer violated FLSA overtime requirements when it failed to include bonuses earned by employees in their calculations when determining overtime rates. Excluding these amounts resulted in the employer paying overtime at rates lower than those required by law.

"Our education and enforcement efforts help ensure that workers get paid what they have legally earned, and that employers compete on a level playing field," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Chad Frasier in Denver. "The U.S. Department of Labor provides employers with a wide variety of resources – online, paper, and in person – to help them understand and comply with federal labor laws. We encourage all employers to take advantage of these resources and avoid violations."

Local WHD offices welcome confidential calls and in-person visits and the Division's library of online videos offer useful information on FLSA compliance.

Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. For more information about the FLSA, and other laws enforced by the Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool for workers who may be owed back wages collected by WHD.