US Department of Labor finds Louisiana-based security solutions company wrongly classified field managers exempt from federal wage protections

HAMMOND, LA – A Hammond security solutions company illegally denied 23 field operations managers in Louisiana their federal overtime protections. The employees, labeled executives and paid on a salary basis, worked about 60 hours a week, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Inner Parish Security Corp. failed to pay a guaranteed salary of at least $684 per week, as required for executives to be excluded from overtime pay requirements. As a result, the employees did not meet the required executive salary level requirements in the Fair Labor Standards Act. The division determined that the employer owed the employees overtime pay when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.  

The division recovered $31,132 for the 23 employees. In addition, the Wage and Hour Division assessed $6,872 in civil money penalties for repeated violations of the FLSA.

“Employers who claim a minimum wage and overtime exemption must ensure that all requirements are met,” said Wage and Hour District Director Troy Mouton in New Orleans. “To be excluded from federal minimum wage and overtime protections, managers must meet the proper salary level, salary basis and duties requirements. Failure to meet all of these requirements could result in overtime or minimum wage violations.”  Mouton added, “In addition to recovering lost wages, the Division may also assess civil money penalties if FLSA violations are repeated, willful, or otherwise appropriate considering the specific violations.”

Founded in Tangipahoa Parish in 1977, Inner Parish Security Corp. provides custom security solutions for commercial, government, industrial and residential customers in 13 states and the District of Columbia. It has about 1,400 employees.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division.

Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions – regardless of their immigration status – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages.