News Brief
Department of Labor investigation, litigation recovers $120K in back wages, damages for 29 Long Island landscaping, sprinkler installation workers
Date of action: May 20, 2024
Type of action: Consent Judgment
Names of defendants: Brookhaven Irrigation Corp., Michael Coggins
Address: Farmingville, New York
Background: After an investigation by the Long Island district office of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, the department’s Office of the Solicitor filed suit against Brookhaven Irrigation Corp. and Michael Coggins, operators of a landscaping and lawn sprinkler installation business, alleging they willfully violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime pay and recordkeeping provisions. Specifically, the department alleged Brookhaven did not pay employees the FLSA-required overtime rate of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay between July 2019 and July 2022, and failed to keep records of employee wages and work hours.
Resolution: Under the terms of the consent judgment, the division recovered $120,000 in back wages and liquidated damages from Brookhaven Irrigation Corp. and Coggins for 29 current and former employees, which the division is currently distributing to the affected workers. Brookhaven and Coggins have also paid $10,000 in civil money penalties to the department.
Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Docket Number: 2:22-cv-03907-AYS
Quotes: “The U.S. Department of Labor will not hesitate to pursue legal action to ensure that all employees are compensated as required by law,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Jeffrey Rogoff in New York. “This case’s resolution shows employers that not complying with federal wage law can lead to legal action with costly consequences.”
“The violations found here were willful and the penalties significant. However, such violations are preventable if employers know and follow the Fair Labor Standards Act’s pay, recordkeeping and other requirements,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director David An in Westbury, New York. “We encourage Long Island employers to review their practices and contact us with questions.”
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 – regardless of immigration status – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages through the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Download the agency’s Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices — also available in Spanish — to ensure hours and pay are accurate.
