Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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HOUSTON -- Synagro Technologies Inc. in Houston has agreed to pay $247,002 in overtime back wages after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that 49 truck drivers had not been properly paid.

“Employers must compensate their workers fairly,” said Cynthia Watson, Southwest regional administrator for Wage and Hour. “Some employees worked as many as 60 hours in a work week without overtime compensation. I am pleased that we were able to recover back wages for these workers.”

The investigation, covering a two-year period July 31, 2003 to Aug. 1, 2005, determined that Synagro Technologies, doing business as Synagro, violated the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The company failed to pay overtime to employees who worked more than 40 hours a week. In addition, the company did not keep the required payroll records.

Synagro cooperated with the investigation and has agreed to comply with the FLSA in the future. Back wages will be paid in full by May 2006. The company’s services include transporting, treating and monitoring bio-solids nationwide.

The FLSA requires employees to be paid the minimum wage for all hours worked and time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. Employers must also maintain adequate and accurate time and payroll records.

The Wage and Hour Division concluded 34,858 compliance actions in fiscal year 2005 and recovered more than $166 million in back wages for more than 241,000 employees. Back wage collections last year represent a 26 percent increase over back wages collected in fiscal year 2001. The number of workers receiving back wages has increased by 11 percent since fiscal year 2001.

For more information about federal overtime laws, call the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243) or contact the Wage and Hour Houston district office at (713) 339-5500. 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.