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 $74K in back wages, damages for 19 construction workers denied overtime pay in Southwest Louisiana

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US Department of Labor recovers $74K in back wages, damages for 19 construction workers denied overtime pay in Southwest Louisiana
Employer name:               PAR Construction LLCInvestigation site:            1424 Ryan St.                                                   Lake Charles, LA 70621Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found PAR Construction paid 19 non-exempt employees straight time for overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, denying these workers the time and one-half overtime premium required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.  Back wages recovered:  $37,273 in back wages                                                    $37,273 in liquidated damagesQuote: “When employees work premium hours, they should get premium pay,” said Wage and Hour district Director Troy Mouton in New Orleans. “Most construction workers are due time and one-half their regular rate of pay when they work more than 40 hours in a week. Work in the construction industry can involve variable hours, but the obligation to pay overtime premiums is constant.” Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file an online complaint. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from. Download the agency’s new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices – also available in Spanish – to ensure hours and pay are accurate.

Published at July 17, 2024 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

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