Luxury automaker BMW has agreed to pay $629,000 in overtime back wages to workers at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to settle a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lawsuit alleging the company violated federal wage and hour law. The settlement, which will be shared by 1,224 workers, covers the period from April 2003 to March 2006.
The lawsuit charged that BMW failed to pay automobile body and paint shop employees for time the employees spent donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) required safety gear, as well as time spent walking to and from work stations. According to the DOL, the company’s practice resulted in uncompensated overtime hours.
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.
Additional Resources:
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
“Wage and Hour: High Court Says Employers Must Pay for Walking Time When Workers Have to Don and Doff Protective Gear,” in the January 2006 issue of the California Employer Advisor