‘A very costly lesson.’ Bradenton furniture manufacturer owes employees $92K, feds say
The United States Department of Labor recovered nearly $100,000 in back wages from a Bradenton furniture store, the agency announced Monday.
Investigators said they found that Alumatech Furniture Manufacturing Inc., 6063 17th St. E., Bradenton, violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by not paying eight employees overtime rates despite them working over 40 hours in a workweek.
As a result of the employer failing to pay overtime to piece-rate and commission-based workers when required, the department said they recovered $92,562 in back wages and damages for the affected workers. The owed back wages average out to over $11,500 per employee.
“The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring workers get every dollar they earned,” Nicholas Ratmiroff, the Wage and Hour Division’s district director in Tampa said in a statement.
“Employers who choose to pay employees by piece or hour must still pay non-exempt employees the required overtime rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Employers should contact the Wage and Hour Division to ensure their pay practices comply with the law,” Ratmiroff added. “Faulty pay practices can lead to sizeable wage and damage recoveries and possibly penalties, all of which makes for a very costly lesson.”
The department also hit the furniture company with a $8,328 fine for “repeat violations.”
When investigators reviewed pay records for the company from September 2016 through September 2018, they recovered more than $8,000 in back wages and cited the company for $734 after they found Alumatech failed to pay overtime premiums to piece-rate workers.
The outdoor patio furniture store has been in the industry since 1974 and has been in business as Alumatech Furniture Manufacturing since 1988, according to its website.
The company manufactures, sells and repairs outdoor furniture at its Bradenton factory and employs about 55 workers, according to a news release.
