Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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CARROLLTON, Texas -- Matrix Interior Construction Inc. in Carrollton has agreed to pay $142,314 in overtime back wages after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found that 454 former and current construction workers had not been properly paid.

The investigation determined that Matrix Interior Construction had violated the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by failing to properly pay employees overtime wages and maintain required recordkeeping.

“Employees are entitled to receive the wages they have earned,” said Cynthia Watson, the Wage and Hour Division’s southwestern regional administrator. “The employer failed to compensate employees for the time taken to gather tools and materials before the start of their shifts. In some cases, uncompensated overtime hours resulted.”

The company cooperated with the investigation and agreed to future compliance with the FLSA, which requires that covered employees be paid the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay for hours worked over 40 per week. Under this law, employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

“Workday,” in general, means the period between the time on any particular day when such employee commences his/her “principal activity” and the time on that day at which he/she ceases such principal activity or activities. The workday may therefore be longer than the employee’s scheduled shift, hours, tour of duty or production line time.

Effective July 24, 2007, the federal minimum wage for covered, nonexempt employees will be $5.85 per hour. The minimum wage will increase to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Division’s Dallas District Office at (817) 861-2150 or (817) 261-4371 (metro toll-free number), or the Department of Labor’s toll-free line at (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243). 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.