January 12, 2022

Three citrus farm labor contractors pay $76K in back wages, penalties after US Department of Labor finds violations of guest worker program

TAMPA, FL – When three Arcadia citrus farm labor contractors failed to comply with the requirements of the federal H-2A agricultural worker visa program, they shortchanged 123 employees – owing them $72,609 in total wages.

January 11, 2022

US Department of Labor finds North Charleston employer kept workers tips, failed to pay overtime; investigation recovers $154K in back wages, damages

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Laws protecting the wages of tipped workers apply whether they work in restaurants or in grocery stores where food is served. A South Carolina employer learned this expensive lesson after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation.

January 10, 2022

US Department of Labor finds owed wages, assesses penalties in over 80 percent of cotton gin investigations in seven Southeast states

ATLANTA – While the cotton gin has greatly increased the speed of crop production since its invention more than three centuries ago, the U.S. Department of Labor has found 8 out of 10 cotton gin employers it investigated in the Southeast region violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, or provisions of the H-2A visa program.

January 10, 2022

El Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubre violaciones por parte de los desmotadores de algodón en más de 80 por ciento de sus investigaciones en siete estados del sureste

ATLANTA - Aunque la desmotadora de algodón ha aumentado enormemente la velocidad de producción de las cosechas desde su invención hace más de tres siglos, el Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU.

January 10, 2022

Court orders Long Island horse trainer, stable to pay $132K to 52 employees after US Department of Labor finds wage theft, falsified records

NEW YORK – A federal court has ordered a prominent Long Island thoroughbred horseracing stable and its owner to pay a total of $132,631 in back wages and liquidated damages to 52 grooms and hot walkers at several locations, including Belmont and Aqueduct racetracks. The stable owner failed to pay workers the overtime wages they earned.

January 6, 2022

US Department of Labor conducts outreach, enforcement actions as cleanup continues in Northeast Arkansas after December 2021 tornadoes

Who:               Wage and Hour Division

                          Occupational Safety and Health Administration

What:             Assistance and enforcement action in Arkansas after December 2021 tornadoes

January 6, 2022

US Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, sign partnership agreement to enhance information sharing, enforcement, training, outreach

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board announced today that the department’s Wage and Hour Division and the NLRB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding strengthening the agencies’ partnership and outlining procedures on information-sharing, joint investigations and enforcement activity, as well as training, education and community outreach.

January 5, 2022

US Department of Labor sues Georgia auto repair shop owner who paid former worker final wages in oily pennies

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, against a Peachtree City auto repair shop and its owner seeking $36,971 in back wages and liquidated damages after investigators found they violated the retaliation, overtime and recordkeeping prohibitions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 5, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $72K in back wages, damages after an investigation finds California construction employer underpaid its workers

HIDDEN HILLS, CA – A Southern California construction company has paid $72,342 in back wages and liquidated damages to 12 workers after the U.S. Department of Labor found the employer failed to pay them overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The department also assessed $8,460 in penalties for the employer’s willful violations.

January 5, 2022

US Department of Labor finds luxury apartment complex in San Jose’s historic Japantown denied maintenance workers overtime wages owed

SAN JOSE, CA – A U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found that the owner of a luxury apartment rental property in San Jose’s historic Japantown denied maintenance workers overtime wages, and failed to keep accurate records of employees’ earnings in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 4, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $115K in back wages, liquidated damages after investigators find Hawaii contractor’s pay practices violated federal law

HONOLULU – A U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation has found a Hawaii flooring contractor misclassified some employees as independent contractors and paid others straight-time wages for all hours when they worked over 40 in a workweek, both violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

January 4, 2022

Tribunal ordena a pizzería de Long Island pagar $178,000 en salarios atrasados, daños y multas por negar a los trabajadores pago de horas extras

NUEVA YORK - Un tribunal federal en Nueva York ha ordenado a una pizzería de Long Island y a su propietario pagar $178,000 en salarios atrasados, compensación por daños y multas después de que una investigación del Departamento de Trabajo de EE.UU. descubriera que las prácticas salariales del empresario afectaron a trabajadores por no pagarles las horas extras.

January 4, 2022

US Department of Labor recovers $105K in back wages for 92 workers after investigation finds overtime violations by Tampa healthcare services provider

TAMPA, FL – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor led to major changes by a Tampa employer in its pay practices that have the potential to affect the lives of more than 2,000 local workers.

January 4, 2022

Court orders Long Island pizzeria to pay $178K in back wages, damages, penalties for denying workers overtime wages

NEW YORK – A federal court in New York has ordered a Long Island pizzeria and its owner to pay $178,000 in back wages, damages and civil money penalties after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employer’s pay practices shortchanged workers when it failed to pay overtime wages.

January 4, 2022

US Department of Labor finds Oklahoma City area nursing homes operators failed to pay workers for time spent in training, meetings

OKLAHOMA CITY – While nursing home workers continue to put themselves at-risk as the nation battles the ongoing pandemic, federal investigators found that the pay practices of three Oklahoma City-area nursing homes denied 129 workers all of their hard-earned wages.

January 4, 2022

US Department of Labor finds Labcorp illegally denied worker private space for nursing mothers at California clinic

BURLINGTON, NC – To ensure nursing mothers can care for their newborns and earn a living, federal law requires employers to designate a place for them to express milk privately without fear of intrusion.

December 27, 2021

US Department of Labor recovers $33K in back wages for five workers after investigation revealed Apex company violated federal wage laws

APEX, NC – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $33,230 in back wages for five employees working on a federally funded construction project in Fayetteville. Investigators found the employer failed to pay workers all wages earned as required by the Davis Bacon Act.

December 27, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Fairdale country club failed to pay minimum, overtime wages, violated child labor laws; recovers $21K for 43 workers

LOUISVILLE, KY – A Fairdale country club operator failed to pay some workers minimum hourly wages, denied overtime pay to other workers, paid incorrect overtime rates to others, and assigned minor-aged workers duties not permitted by law, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

December 21, 2021

US Department of Labor finds violations at Mississippi fish farms, recovers more than $102K in back wages for 123 workers

JACKSON, MS – Federal investigations of six Mississippi fish farms by the U.S. Department of Labor have led to the recovery of $102,176 in back wages for 123 workers and the assessment of $69,122 in civil money penalties.

December 20, 2021

US Department of Labor finds Hawaii restaurants operator shortchanged cooks in Honolulu, Kailua, failed to pay overtime wages

HONOLULU – A U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found the operator of two Hawaii restaurants denied workers overtime wages, and failed to record the hours of work for its kitchen cooks accurately, both violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.