EDGEWOOD, md – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland has entered a consent judgment ordering hotel owner and manager Akhilbhai Patel to pay $78,575 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 34 current and former employees at two Edgewood, Maryland locations. The Department also assessed Patel a $6,440 civil money penalty due to the willful nature of the violations.

HONOLULU, HI – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Edwin De Luz Trucking & Gravel LLC – a trucking company based in Waimea, Hawaii – has paid $59,888 in back wages and liquidated damages to 12 employees for violating overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

PALMETTO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Utopia Fresh South LLC – operating as Taylor & Fulton Packing LLC in Palmetto, Florida – has paid $87,920 in back wages to 109 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

OAKLAND, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), EWC & Associates Inc. – a Northern California owner and operator of two horse training facilities – will pay $1,270,683 in back wages and damages to 30 employees for multiple work visa program and wage violations.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Administrative Law Judge Theresa Timlin has issued an order requiring TLC Precision Wafer Technologies Inc. – based in Minneapolis, Minnesota – to pay a former employee $43,366 in back wages for violating the labor provisions of the H-1B visa program. Additionally, the company has been ordered to pay pre-judgment and post-judgement interest.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Two Philadelphia restaurants, J.H.S.K, Inc. and Osaka Japan Restaurant, Inc., both doing business as Osaka, and their owner, have agreed to a consent judgment ordering them to pay $935,000 in back wages and liquidated damages to 201 employees for willful violations of the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employers must also pay a $65,000 civil money penalty. The consent judgment must be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

PORTLAND, OR – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Vasquez Family Services – a farm labor contractor – and housing provider Jorge Vasquez were assessed $35,000 in civil penalties after violations of the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA) left farm workers living in squalid living conditions at their facility in Silverton, Oregon. Vasquez Family Living Services will pay $30,000 in civil penalties for the violations, and housing provider Jorge Vasquez will pay $5,000.

BLOOMINGTON, IN – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Ji Enterprises will pay $81,127 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 12 current and former employees at two of its Bloomington, Indiana, restaurants – Restaurant Ami and Toto's Uncle.

BONITA SPRINGS, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) into rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Kelly Roofing LLC – based in Bonita Springs, Florida – paid $70,068 in back wages to 155 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – After an investigation by the U.S. Department Of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah has ordered Metal Rock Construction Inc. to pay $50,000 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 86 employees for violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

GARY, IN – After a U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation, four contractors working on the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Village of Hope housing project in Gary, Indiana, will pay 53 current and former employees a total of $255,474 for violating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA).

WHD investigators determined the contractors failed to pay the correct prevailing wages and fringe benefits.

MOBILE, AL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), AltaPointe Health Systems Inc. – operating in the Mobile, Alabama, area as BayPointe Hospital, EastPointe Hospital, and CarePointe – will pay an employee $6,588 in lost wages and incurred medical expenses for violating the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

SAN DIEGO, CA – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation, Sundance Natural Foods Company – based in Oceanside, California – will pay $13,641 in back wages to 45 employees for unpaid overtime as a result of violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Migrant and Seasonal Worker Protection Act (MSPA). Additionally, the company was assessed $5,130 in civil penalties.

DES MOINES, IA ­- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) will present an educational forum about developments in its policies and regulations and its Payroll Audit Independent Determination Program (PAID), during a February 19, 2019, webinar for Iowa and Nebraska employers. PAID facilitates resolution of potential overtime and minimum wage violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

PRINCETON, WV– The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia has entered a consent judgment against XMV Inc. - operator of three underground coal mines – following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) that found XMV violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

ELIZABETH, NJ – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has found that eight retailers operating at The Mills at Jersey Gardens – in Elizabeth, New Jersey – allowed underage employees to operate and unload potentially dangerous paper baling and cardboard compacting machines, in violation of federal child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). WHD assessed a total of $40,667 in penalties to the retailers.

The retailers are:

ORLANDO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Arnold Palmer Golf Management LLC – operating as Walt Disney World Golf in Orlando, Florida – has paid $19,776 in back wages to 24 employees for violating minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

JACKSON, MS – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Statewide Transport Inc. will pay $25,032 in back wages to 21 employees at its Jackson, Mississippi, terminal for violating overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

LOS ANGELES, CA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Golden Life Supported Living Agency Inc. – a service provider for clients with developmental disabilities in Los Angeles, California – will pay 67 employees $301,763 in back wages for violating overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

SHREVEPORT, LA – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana has ordered two Louisiana hotels, Merryton LLC - doing business as Merryton Inn in Shreveport - and Merryton Bossier LLC - doing business as Bossier Inn and Suites in Bossier City - to pay $9,928 in back wages and liquidated damages to 22 employees for violating the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements.