Court orders California construction contractor to pay $770K in back wages, damages after federal investigation finds minimum wage, overtime violations

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Court orders California construction contractor to pay $770K in back wages, damages after federal investigation finds minimum wage, overtime violations ESCONDIDO, CA – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment requiring an Escondido drywall construction contractor to pay $790,000 in back wages, damages, and penalties after a federal investigation found the employer failed to pay the federally required minimum wage and overtime to 580 workers.The court action follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division into Innovative Wall Systems Inc. – operating as Alta Drywall. Federal investigators found that the employer did not accurately keep records of hours worked, including pre- and post-shift work, travel between jobsites, or work performed on Saturdays. The employer also neglected to pay workers the required overtime rate of time-and-one-half for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek, resulting in Fair Labor Standards Act minimum wag...
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US Department of Labor, Brasfield & Gorrie Construction to promote safety at Alabama construction site

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US Department of Labor, Brasfield & Gorrie Construction to promote safety at Alabama construction site
Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Brasfield & Gorrie Construction What: Safety alliance agreement Background: On April 19, OSHA and the Brasfield & Gorrie Construction signed a strategic partnership to promote safety and health practices to help in preventing worker injuries and exposure to hazards during construction of Cooper Green Mercy Health, a five-story, 211,000-square-foot hospital and parking deck in Birmingham, Alabama. The initiative will also encourage contractors to develop and implement safety and health programs, and provide safety and health training to employees, employers, and supervisors. Participants will focus on the use of personal protective equipment, heat illness prevention, hazards related to falls, struck-by and caught-in objects, electrical equipment and work practices, fire protection and prevention, safe use of hand and power tools, and silica and noise exposure. The completed facility will offer an ambulatory outpatient facility, exam rooms, pharmacy and office spaces. OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health. Learn more about OSHA. Quote: “Public-private sector partnerships focused on worker safety and health training at all levels are a proven method to enhance worker safety during major construction projects,” said OSHA Area Office Director to Joel Batiz in Birmingham, Alabama. “Partnerships like these make a significant difference in ensuring workers finish their day’s work safely.”

Published at April 20, 2023 at 05:00PM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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