LOUISVILLE, KY – American Security Programs Inc., a security service providing armed guards, will pay $277,306 in back wages to 61 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the company violated the McNamara-O’Hara Service Contract Act (SCA), the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standard Act (CWHSSA), and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The owner of six southern New Jersey gas stations has paid $1,471,024 in back wages and damages to 24 gas station attendants to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

PITTSBURGH, PA – A federal contractor that serves as the prime contractor for repair and renovation projects at federal buildings in West Virginia and Kentucky, has paid $213,282 in back wages to seven employees to resolve violations of federal law found by the U.S. Department of Labor.

WASHINGTON, DC – As retailers and other businesses temporarily increase staffing levels to accommodate heightened seasonal consumer demand, the U.S. Department of Labor reminds employers of the necessity of complying with federal labor laws related to safety, pay, and benefits.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and New Mexico’s Office of the Attorney General have signed a collaboration agreement to combat human trafficking in New Mexico. The anti-human trafficking agreement is the first of its kind in the Department.

BOWMAN, ND – The U.S. Department of Labor has debarred Lambourn Farm, a North Dakota grain and cattle farming operation, from participation in the H-2A temporary visa program after the farm violated program provisions and failed to cooperate with Department investigators.

The H-2a program allows employers to bring non-immigrant, foreign workers to the U.S. to perform agricultural labor.

CHICAGO, IL – Fabulous Freddies Italian Eatery, a restaurant in Chicago’s South Loop, and one of its named owners, Stephanie Fitzpatrick, have paid 58 employees a total of $339,418 in unpaid wages and damages in a consent judgment following a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A gas station group and two check-cashing businesses have paid $88,712 in back wages to 39 employees after U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigations found violations of the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the tip regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  Under the proposed rule, workplaces would have the freedom to allow sharing of tips among more employees.  The proposal would help decrease wage disparities between tipped and non-tipped workers – an option that is currently restricted by a rule promulgated in 2011 that has been challenged in a number of courts.

NASHVILLE, TN – The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, issued a consent order and permanent injunction against Casa Vieja Mexican Grille, Inc., and its owners, after a U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division investigation determined that Casa Vieja violated the minimum wage, overtime wage, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

NEW YORK, NY – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has opened an area office in Queens to connect employers, community and trade organizations, employees, and other stakeholders with resources and assistance to ensure compliance with federal labor laws. The new office is located at 68-60 Austin St., Room 601, Forest Hills, New York, 11375.

ALPHARETTA, GA – A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation into an Alpharetta-based furniture installer, determined the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and owed employees $194,069.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Two Philadelphia restaurants have agreed to pay 156 employees a total of $414,765 in back wages, and an equal amount in liquidated damages, to resolve alleged federal wage violations. A proposed consent judgment filed on Nov. 27 – which must still be reviewed and approved by a federal judge – details the terms of the agreement.

In addition to paying back wages and damages, the employers will pay a $10,000 civil money penalty.

AKRON, OH– The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and an Akron restaurant have reached an agreement to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including payment of $59,177 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages – totaling $118,354 – owed to 21 workers.

HARTFORD, CT – A Manchester-based chain of pizza restaurants and its owner will pay $26,575 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to employees to rectify violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) found by the U.S. Department of Labor. The restaurant chain and owner will also pay $14,000 in damages to a former employee who refused to provide false information to investigators.

BOSTON, MA – A Dudley contract packager of aerosol containers and the U.S. Department of Labor have reached a settlement agreement resolving alleged violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Shield Packaging Co. Inc. has paid $210,227 and an equal amount in liquidated damages to 205 employees and pledged future compliance with the FLSA.

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL – A recent U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation of Alabama-based government contractor InfoPro Corp., found an unintentional software glitch caused employee health and welfare benefits to be underpaid from July 1, 2015, to Sept. 30, 2016. Division investigators determined that InfoPro owed $126,329 in health and welfare benefits to 84 employees covered by the Service Contract Act (SCA).

ROANOKE, VA – As a result of a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia entered a consent judgment ordering six Roanoke area restaurants and their owners to pay $1.5 million in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages, to 149 employees. The consent judgment rectifies federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. 

CHATTANOOGA, TN – MetalTek International Inc. – a foundry and machinist shop in Chattanooga – has agreed to pay a total of $335,680 in back pay and liquidated damages to 68 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by not allowing its workers to put on and remove protective equipment while on the clock.

MEMPHIS, TN – The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee issued a judgment and permanent injunction against Mulrooney Enterprises to pay $140,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for violating the minimum wage and overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).