U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Georgia Granite Installer Paying $105,020 in Back Wages and Damages

SUWANEE, GA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Granite Masters Inc. – a granite countertop installation company based in Suwanee, Georgia – will pay $105,020 in back wages and liquidated damages to 36 employees for violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD investigators found Granite Masters Inc. misclassified employees as independent contractors. This practice resulted in the employer paying straight time rates to overtime-eligible employees when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, rather than paying them overtime as required by law. WHD also found recordkeeping violations when the employer failed to maintain records of the number of hours employees worked.

WHD investigators learned of the employer's practices through its Employment Education and Outreach (EMPLEO) alliance. EMPLEO is an alliance of community and nongovernmental organizations; state, local, and federal agencies; and Hispanic consulates that provides information and assistance to Spanish-speaking employees and employers regarding their workplace rights and responsibilities.

"Collaboration with community organizations and other federal agencies through our Employment Education and Outreach alliance helps us ensure employees know their rights and receive the wages that they are lawfully owed," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Williams, in Atlanta, Georgia. "We encourage employers to review their pay practices and contact us if they have questions so that they can avoid violations."

WHD provides a wide variety of compliance assistance tools to help employers understand their responsibilities and employees understand their rights.

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.