News Release
US Department of Labor recovers $25K in back wages for 12 Fort Myers workers after construction contractor paid lower overtime rates than required
Employer: Sewer Viewer Inc.
Investigation site: 2190 Andrea Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33912
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the employer – a pipe cleaning and inspection contractor – failed to include non-discretionary production bonuses into the regular rate of pay when computing an overtime rate for employees who worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, a Fair Labor Standards Act violation. As a result, the employer paid overtime at rates lower than required by law.
Back Wages Recovered: $25,170 in back wages for 12 workers.
Quote: “Employers who supplement wages of employees with bonuses, commissions and piece-rate wages must still adhere to the required overtime requirements,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff in Tampa, Florida. “Employers who fail to realize this and continue to pay workers less that they have earned can quickly find themselves struggling to maintain the workforce needed to stay in business.”
Background: Employers and workers alike can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. The division also offers numerous online resources for employers, such as a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act wage laws overtime requirements. Workers who feel they may not be getting the wages they earned may contact a Wage and Hour Division representative in their state through a list and interactive online map on the agency’s website.
