New Jersey security company pays $132K in back wages , damages to 61 employees after federal investigation finds workers misclassified, denied overtime pay

Employer name:       

Hinton Investigations Inc.

516 Main St.

East Orange, New Jersey 07018

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined that the security company misclassified employees as independent contractors and failed to pay any overtime premium. Hinton paid employees on an hourly basis and only straight-time for hours over 40 each workweek. These actions violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Back wages and liquidated damages recovered: $132,344

Workers affected: 61 security guards

Quote: “Not paying overtime to employees when they work more than 40 hours in a week is illegal,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Paula Ruffin in Mountainside, New Jersey. “Security industry employers should review their pay practices to ensure compliance with the law and workers are properly classified and paid.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws the division enforces, contact its 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 or concerns – regardless of where they are from – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android and iOS Timesheet App for free.