The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced that in 2007, its Wage and Hour Division recovered $220,613,703 in back wages, the highest amount ever, on behalf of 341,624 workers. These back-wage collections exceeded the previous record levels from 2003 by 3.8 percent. In addition, the division assessed over $10.3 million in penalties in 2007.
The bulk of the recovery stemmed from violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In particular, the agency collected $180.7 million in minimum wage and overtime back wages for approximately 311,000 employees, along with $3.9 million in FLSA penalties. The DOL also collected $1,573,501 in 2007 for Family and Medical Leave Act violations—which, interestingly, was down sharply from a recovery of $2,397,876 in 2003. View the DOL’s full report.
Additional Resources:
The HR Management & Compliance Report: How To Comply with California Wage & Hour Law, explains everything you need to know to stay in compliance with the state’s complex and ever-changing rules, laws, and regulations in this area. Coverage on bonuses, meal and rest breaks, overtime, alternative workweeks, final paychecks, and more.