News Brief
US Department of Labor recovers $103K in back wages, damages for 104 Dallas workers after foundation contractor failed to pay overtime
Employer: S & W Renovation & Landscape Contractor Inc. operating as S&W Foundation Contractors
Investigation site:
2806 Singleton St.
Rowlett, TX 75088
Investigation findings: Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer deducted lunch breaks automatically without first making sure workers did, in fact, take a lunch break. The automatic deduction caused overtime and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Back Wages and Damages Recovered:
$51,872 in back wages
$51,872 in liquidated damages
Quote: “Employers have a responsibility to make certain employees actually take lunch breaks when automatic deductions are made,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jesus A. Valdez in Dallas. “The law requires them to pay employees their full earned wages, including pay for time when lunch breaks are not used. The Wage and Hour Division has professionals ready to help employers understand regulations and avoid compliance issues.”
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. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free.
