US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties

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US Department of Labor investigation finds Chicago construction employer exposed workers to continued safety hazards, proposes $265K in penalties CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Calumet City-based residential construction and carpentry employer after two separate investigations into its continued failure to provide fall protection for workers. The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated two worksites operated by Martin Araujo – doing business as Araujo Construction Corp. – and found that carpenters and general construction laborers were installing roof rafters and roof sheeting without fall protection, exposing them to falls of up to 25 feet. OSHA cited Araujo Construction with two willful violations for not providing fall protection, while working from heights during residential construction at the two worksites. OSHA also cited the employer with nine repeat safety violations for failing to provide head and eye protection, l...
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US Department of Labor recovers $61K in back wages for 79 air conditioning repair technicians in Texas

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US Department of Labor recovers $61K in back wages for 79 air conditioning repair technicians in Texas
Employer name:                    Envirotech Mechanical Systems LLC                                                                                          Investigation site:                 270 Lake Meadows Drive                                                          Montgomery, TX  77316 Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Envirotech Mechanical Systems LLC – a heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor in Montgomery – failed to pay air conditioning repair technicians the overtime premium at one and one-half the regular rate of pay for hours over 40 in workweek as the Fair Labor Standards Act requires. Back wages recovered:         $61,591 in back wages to 79 employees                                          Quote: “By not paying the proper overtime, this employer denied employees their hard-earned wages,” explained the Wage and Hour Division’s District Director Robin Mallett in Houston. “The law requires employers to pay workers all of their rightful wages, including overtime pay for hours over 40 in a workweek.  Employers who fail to pay workers legally gain an unfair competitive advantage over those employers who abide by the law.” Background:  In fiscal year 2021, the Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $36 million for more than 21,000 construction industry workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that more than 242,000 industry workers quit their jobs in March 2022, matching the all-time high in November 2005. As job openings and employment levels continue to increase, employers whose pay practices violate federal law will likely find it more difficult to recruit and retain workers, than employers who pay their workers their rightful wages and benefits. Lea esta aviso en Español

Published at June 27, 2022 at 05:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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