Bakersfield, California – In a recent U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigation in Bakersfield on wages and damages, it was found that Universal Welding and Construction Inc. denied overtime pay to 74 of its employees. This finding constitutes a blatant violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, leaving workers without the full pay they were owed for their hard work.
The Department of Labor managed to recover a total of $85,004 in unpaid overtime wages for the 74 affected employees. Additionally, an additional $85,004 was secured in liquidated damages, intended to compensate for the losses suffered by these workers due to the company’s negligence. As a result of these irregularities, Universal Welding and Construction Inc. was also fined $34,954 in civil monetary penalties.
Cesar Avila, District Director of the Wage and Hour Division in Sacramento, emphasized the importance of employers meeting their wage obligations. “Employers must pay their workers all wages they have earned for their work, including overtime hours,” stated Avila. He also urged all employers to seek compliance assistance and take advantage of the educational tools available online to avoid violations like those detected in this specific case.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes the standards that employers must follow regarding wage and overtime pay. Under this law, most employees in the U.S. are entitled to receive at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, as well as overtime pay at a rate not less than one and a half times the regular rate for all hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
