US Department of Labor recovers $74K in back wages, damages for 19 construction workers denied overtime pay in Southwest Louisiana

Employer name:               PAR Construction LLC

Investigation site:            1424 Ryan St.

                                                   Lake Charles, LA 70621

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found PAR Construction paid 19 non-exempt employees straight time for overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, denying these workers the time and one-half overtime premium required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

 Back wages recovered:  $37,273 in back wages

                                                    $37,273 in liquidated damages

Quote: “When employees work premium hours, they should get premium pay,” said Wage and Hour district Director Troy Mouton in New Orleans. “Most construction workers are due time and one-half their regular rate of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Work in the construction industry can involve variable hours, but the obligation to pay overtime premiums is constant.” 

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 and how to file an online complaint. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from. Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – also available in Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.