Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SAN FRANCISCO -- WestCor Construction, a Las Vegas home construction framing contractor, has agreed to pay $529,580 in overtime back wages to 932 current and former workers plus $25,000 in civil money penalties for repeated violations, following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Investigators from the department’s Wage and Hour Division found that WestCor Construction failed to pay overtime to framers and carpenters as required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The employees will receive back wage payments for work performed between August 2004 and July 2006. The department found similar problems in a prior investigation of the company in 1994.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that employers pay non-exempt employees no less than one-and-one-half times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.

"This administration is vigorously enforcing the federal overtime law to ensure that workers are paid all the wages they have earned," said George Friday, the Wage and Hour Division’s regional administrator for the Western states. "I am pleased that we have recovered $529,580 for the workers and steps are being taken to make sure they are properly compensated in the future."

The Wage and Hour Division’s office in Las Vegas was alerted to the employer’s pay practice through the Employment Education and Outreach (EMPLEO) initiative. EMPLEO is a joint effort between local business and community organizations, state and federal government agencies and the Consulate of Mexico in Las Vegas to help Spanish-speaking workers and employers understand federal and state workplace rights and responsibilities. Partners in EMPLEO, which include the Wage and Hour Division, have established a local toll-free help line at 1 (800) 289-1331. Callers are assisted by volunteers who refer them to the appropriate EMPLEO partner for assistance.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $171 million in back wages for over 246,000 workers and assessed nearly $7.9 million in civil money penalties in federal fiscal year 2006.

The Wage and Hour Division offers a Web site to help employers, www.wagehour.dol.gov. The site provides more information about the FLSA and an on-line tool for determining overtime eligibility -- the elaws FLSA Overtime Security Advisor -- at www.dol.gov/elaws/overtime.htm.

For additional information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Division’s office in Phoenix at (602) 514-7120, or the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1 (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243).

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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.