News Brief
Federal investigation recovers $115K in wages, liquidated damages for 35 Austin grounds maintenance workers denied overtime
Employer name: Allandale Lawn & Landscape Inc.
Investigation site: 2507 Twin Oaks Drive
Austin, TX 78757
Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Allandale Lawn & Landscape Inc., violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay 35 workers time and one-half the regular rate of pay for hours over 40 in a workweek. The division also discovered the employer deducted a full hour of lunch every day, even though workers routinely took only a 45-minute lunch break. In addition, the division found the employer violated the FLSA’s recordkeeping provisions.
Back wages recovered: $57,518 in owed wages and $57,518 in liquidated damages to 35 workers, 10 of whom have yet to be located for payment. Workers who may be owed back wages for this or any other case can get more information at the Wage and Hour Division’s Workers Owed Wages website.
Quote: “Employers who don’t pay employees full wages may face costly consequences, including penalties. In this case, many workers will now receive unpaid wages and liquidated damages, which will make a big impact in their daily lives,” said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Rosalinda Huffman in Austin. “The Wage and Hour Division encourages workers to contact us if they believe their employer is not paying them all of their earned wages. If you think you may be owed back wages collected by this office, you can search our database of workers for whom we have money waiting to be claimed.”
