U.S. Department of Labor issued the following announcement on Dec. 11.
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, Residential Investment Group – operating as RIG Construction and Roofing – paid $60,098 in back wages and liquidated damages to 43 employees for violating overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
WHD investigators found the Winter Haven, Florida-based roofing contractor paid employees piece-rate wages, without regard to the number of hours they actually worked. This practice resulted in violations because the employer failed to pay employees overtime for any hours they worked beyond 40 in a workweek. WHD also found recordkeeping violations when the employer failed to maintain daily and weekly records of the number of hours employees worked.
“Employers are obligated to pay their employees the wages they have legally earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director James Schmidt, in Tampa. “Even if employees are paid piece rates, or on salaries, they are typically still due overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a week. The outcome of this investigation serves as a reminder to all employers to review their pay practices to ensure employees are being paid correctly.”
Original source can be found here.