Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Printer-Friendly Version

Press Releases

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Hunter Fan Co. has agreed to pay $140,683 in overtime back wages to 34 employees as a result of an investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division.

Investigators found that the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) when it incorrectly classified the 34 employees as exempt from the FLSA and failed to pay them overtime for work in excess of 40 hours per week between October 2004 and October 2006.

Hunter Fan produces ceiling, bathroom and portable fans and related accessories. The employees worked in a variety of production and administrative jobs at the company’s Memphis, Tenn., location.

“Companies must correctly classify and pay employees according to the FLSA rules,” said Carol Merchant, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s district office in Nashville. “Workers, unless in exempt positions, must receive overtime when they work more than 40 hours a week.”

The FLSA requires employees to be paid time and one-half the regular rate of pay for overtime work. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records. The FLSA provides an exemption from both minimum wage and overtime pay for bona fide executive, administrative, professional and outside sales employees who meet certain job duty and salary tests.

The Wage and Hour Division concluded 31,987 compliance actions and recovered more than $171 million in back wages for more than 246,000 employees in fiscal year 2006. Back-wage collections last year represent a 30 percent increase over back wages collected in fiscal year 2001. The number of workers receiving back wages has increased by 14 percent since fiscal year 2001.

For information about the FLSA and other laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division, visitwww.wagehour.dol.gov; call the department’s toll-free help line at (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243); or contact the division’s Nashville District Office, Airport Exec Plaza, 1321 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 511; telephone (615) 781-5344. Information about the current exemption for while-collar executive, administrative, and professional employees can be found on the Internet atwww.dol.gov/fairpay.

###

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.