A Florida contractor paid $78,000 after shorting workers on overtime and lunch pay
A contractor in the Florida Panhandle city of Pace paid $78,008 in back wages and liquidated damages after an investigation found Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations, the U.S. Department of Labor said.
That money went to 37 workers of Alabama Resources, an average of $2,108.27 per employee.
Alabama Resources hasn’t returned a message from the Herald about the case. Online state records say the company, which also does business as ALARES, registered with the state in 2018 and is run by president Louis Crowder and CEO Phil Garrett.
The Labor Department said its Wage and Hour Division investigators found that Alabama Resources paid workers a day rate, but didn’t pay time and a half for weeks over 40 hours. Also, the company deducted the half-hour for lunch from work hours, which an employer can do only if “workers are free and clear from work.”
Wage and Hour Division District Director Wildalí De Jesús said, “Paying a salary or a daily rate of pay does not relieve an employer from their obligation to pay workers their federal overtime premiums, should those apply.”
The Wage and Hour complaint section of Labor’s website contains information on how to file a complaint if you believe your employer has violated FLSA. Miami’s Wage and Hour Division office can be reached at 305-598-6607. The national helpline is 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).
No matter the immigration or citizenship status of workers, they can speak with the department, which says it can handle calls in more than 200 languages.
This story was originally published July 20, 2022 at 12:30 PM with the headline "A Florida contractor paid $78,000 after shorting workers on overtime and lunch pay."
