Bay Area residents are likely aware that maintaining steady employment can be difficult in today’s economy. Many people may find themselves so happy to have a “good job” that they are not even aware they may be being mistreated by their employer. Lately, the U.S. Department of Labor has been cracking down on wage and hour violations.
Recently, a drywall company in another state called Kyco Services was caught red-handed taking advantage of hard-working employees. An investigation revealed that the company had failed to properly pay fair wages and overtime. Worse yet, the company falsified payroll records, attempting to make investigators believe they had not committed wage and hour violations.
The U.S. Department of Labor was able to determine that the company had retroactively changed the payroll records and that, in fact, employees were owed large sums of back pay. A judge ordered the company and its owner to pay over $650,000 to the wronged employees. In addition, civil fines totaling about $100,000 were levied against the Utah-based company.
Bay Area workers should be aware that if they suspect they may be a victim of such workplace wrongs, help is available. Wage and hour violations are taken seriously by authorities. It may be difficult for dedicated employees to determine what action may be taken to ensure proper compensation and justice. In many cases, it can be helpful to seek the assistance of an attorney knowledgeable in employment law. An attorney can help wronged employees as they attempt to be made whole.
Source: fox13now.com, “Utah drywall company ordered to pay $650,000 for labor law violations“, May 10, 2018