News Brief
US Department of Labor recovers $244K in back wages, damages for 49 employees of healthcare practice that failed to pay for all hours worked
Employer: Orlando Health Medical Group Inc. - Operating as Orlando Health Medical Group Urology
Investigation sites:
303 E. Par St., Orlando, FL 32804 (Headquarters)
865 Oakley Seaver Drive, Clermont, FL 43711
392 Rinehart Road, Lake Mary, FL 32746
1000 W. Broadway St., Oviedo, FL 32765
Investigation findings: Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division found that the employer allowed some employees to work off-the-clock without compensation, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Employees reported to work before their scheduled shift time or stayed after their shift would end to perform work. In addition, Orlando Health failed to pay overtime premiums on annual non-discretionary bonuses earned by employees for hours over 40 hours in a workweek. Investigators also determined the employer failed to keep complete and accurate records of the number of hours worked by employees.
Back Wages and Liquidated Damages Recovered: $244,011 for 49 workers.
Quote: “Employees have a right to be compensated for all the work they do. When employers fail to pay employees for all the hours they work, they get the benefits of that labor and take advantage of these workers unfairly,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Wildalí De Jesús in Orlando, Florida. “The U.S. Department of Labor enforces federal protections of workers’ rights to make sure they are paid as the law requires.”
“Today’s workers can choose to work for employers who value them, pay them full wages and respect their rights as workers,” De Jesus added. “Employers who comply with labor law and appreciate the dignity of work will have a clear advantage when it comes to retaining and recruiting the people they need for their businesses to operate.”
Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division confidentially at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. 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. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free.
