Clearwater, Florida, Manufacturer Pays $13,133 in Back Wages to Workers After U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Uncovers Overtime Violations

CLEARWATER, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Clearwater Cylinder Head Inc. – a cylinder head manufacturer based in Clearwater, Florida – has paid $13,133 in back wages to 20 employees to resolve overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD investigators found Clearwater Cylinder Head Inc. failed to pay employees for work they performed beyond their scheduled shifts at the end of their workday if the employer had not specifically approved that time in advance. By doing so, the employer failed to pay overtime when the unpaid work time occurred in workweeks of 40 hours or more.

“Employers must ensure they pay their workers the wages they have rightfully earned for every hour that they work. This includes time spent preparing for the day or activities needing completion at day’s end,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff, in Tampa, Florida. “We encourage employers to contact us for compliance assistance, and for help understanding their obligations to their employees. The U.S. Department of Labor will continue working to level the playing field for employers that play by the rules, and to ensure workers get paid the wages they have legally earned.”

The Department offers numerous resources to ensure employers have the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with federal law, such as online videos and confidential calls to local WHD offices.

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 that 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/agencies/whd.

WHD’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.