Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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Denver, CO -- The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that following an investigation Denver-based Apartment Investment and Management Company (AIMCO) paid $730,043 in back wages to 319 employees nationwide. The back wages were paid as the result of an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

"The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that workers are paid all the wages they have earned," said Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. "In this case, we have succeeded in recovering $730,000 in back wages for these workers and steps have been taken to avoid workers being short-changed in the future.”

Under supervision of the Wage and Hour Division, the company conducted a nationwide self-audit which revealed that some employees were incorrectly classified as exempt from the FLSA overtime requirement; that maintenance employees working over 40 hours per week were being paid compensatory time rather than wages at time and one-half their regular rate; and that the company misapplied a credit against wages for the cost of providing apartments to employees.

AIMCO is a real estate investment trust that owns and manages more than 1,740 properties with more than 300,000 apartment homes in 47 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. To help promote nationwide compliance in the future, AIMCO developed, with Wage and Hour Division’s guidance, a training video which has been presented at all 1,740 properties it owns and manages.

The FLSA requires that covered workers be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked. It also requires that workers are paid one and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek and that employers maintain adequate and accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment.

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), or contact the Denver District Office at (303) 264-3250. Information is also available on the Internet at www.youthrules.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.