Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Acxiom Corp., Little Rock, Ark., has agreed to pay $197,728 in back wages to 216 data administrators following a U.S. Labor Department investigation that found the company violated the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

“This Administration is committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have earned,” said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “In this case, $197,728 was recovered in back pay for these workers. Through the department’s determined efforts, nearly $200 million in back wages in fiscal year 2004 was recovered for more than 288,000 workers.”

The investigation, conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, covered a two-year period from Nov. 1, 2002 to Oct. 31, 2004. Investigators determined that Acxiom had incorrectly classified employees as exempt and failed to properly pay overtime wages. Employees were paid a salary without any overtime compensation for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

Acxiom, an information technology services company that employs about 5,500 workers nationwide, conducted a self-audit and cooperated with the investigation. The company has corrected its policy, paid back wages to current employees and is in the process of paying former employees.

The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 per week. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

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 in fiscal 2004 from 108 to 92 days.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Little Rock office at (501) 324-5292 or the Department of Labor’s toll-free line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information is also available at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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