US Department of Labor recovers $46K in back wages for 45 employees after investigation finds overtime violations at Mississippi staffing agency

PASCAGOULA, MS – A Pascagoula, Mississippi, staffing agency for the marine and shipbuilding industries has paid $46,372 in back wages to 45 employees to resolve overtime and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act found in a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation.

Wage and Hour Division investigators found Quality Marine Staffing LLC failed to pay some employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. Instead, the employer artificially labeled a portion of the employees’ hours as “per diem” payment, at an hourly rate, and paid that hourly payment at straight time for overtime hours. In addition, the division found the employer failed to maintain accurate payroll records as required by the FLSA.

“Employers must ensure they pay their workers the wages they have rightfully earned, and as federal law requires,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. “Concealing overtime as per diem payment and shorting workers by paying for those hours at straight time will not be tolerated. 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 hard-earned 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 Wage and Hour Division 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). Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd.