Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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DENVER -- Denver-based American National Bank has paid a total of $148,043 to 29 employees for violations of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The payments follow a U.S. Department of Labor investigation of the company, which has a total of 32 locations in Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas City, Missouri.

“The Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have earned,” said Richard Habura, Wage and Hour district director in Denver. “In this case, $148,052 was recovered in unpaid minimum wages and overtime pay for these workers.”

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division revealed that American National was paying mortgage originators on a commission basis. As a result, eight employees were due a total of $10,583 in back minimum wage compensation. Other employees were owed $137,460 in overtime pay.

Once the violations were brought to the bank’s attention, officials cooperated completely during the investigation, came into immediate compliance and paid all back wages found due.

The FLSA requires that covered workers be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked. It also requires that workers are paid one and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek and that employers maintain adequate and accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered nearly $200 million in back wages in fiscal year 2004 for more than 288,000 workers. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased during that time from 108 days to 92 days.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Department of Labor's toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243), or contact the Denver District Office at (303) 264-3250. Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.