Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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EVANSVILLE, IN --

Tri-State Mortgage Inc., a mortgage broker based in Evansville, Ind., has paid $67,062 in minimum wage and overtime back wages to 60 workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

“The Labor Department is committed to vigorously enforcing the law to ensure that employees are paid all of the wages they are owed,” said Ella Johnson, district director of the department’s Wage and Hour Division in Indianapolis.

The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigated Tri-State Mortgage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the federal wage and hour law. The investigation disclosed that loan originators were paid commissions and did not earn the federal minimum wage in many weeks. One employee was not paid overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 in a week. Tri-State Mortgage Inc. also failed to keep an accurate record of hours worked by employees. The violations occurred during the period July 2002 to July 2004.

After the Wage and Hour Division explained the requirements of the law, the company agreed to compute and pay all back wages owed employees and to comply with the federal wage and hour law in the future.

The investigation found 59 workers due $66,456 for minimum wage violations and one worker due $606 for overtime pay violations. In total, 60 employees were owed $67,062 in back wages.

The FLSA requires employees to be paid the minimum wage for all hours worked and time and one-half the regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a 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 (FY) 2004 for more than 288,000 workers. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased in FY 2004 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). 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.