News Release
US Department of Labor recovers $90K in back wages, liquidated damages for 39 employees of Otsego County, New York, veterinary clinic
Employer name: Valley Veterinary Associates, 647 State Highway 7, Unadilla, New York 13849
Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer “banked” hours worked over 40 in a workweek by employees instead of paying them at time-and-a-half their regular pay rate, then paid them for these hours at straight time in non-overtime workweeks. The company also failed to keep accurate records of hours worked and rates of compensation for overtime work weeks, all of which violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime and recordkeeping requirements.
Back Wages Paid: $90,869.96: $45,434.98 in back wages plus an equal amount in liquidated damages to 39 employees.
Quote: “Employers are responsible for paying all employees correctly for all the hours they work; failure to do so deprives workers of their hard-earned wages. The U.S. Department of Labor provides numerous tools to help employers comply with the law, and we encourage employers and employees alike to contact us for assistance,” said Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director John Steves in Syracuse, New York.
Background: Employers 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.
