Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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NEWTON, Iowa -- Skiff Medical Center, a municipal hospital, has paid $48,934 in back wages to 83 employees for uncompensated overtime following a U.S. Labor Department investigation. Skiff was cited for violations of the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The department’s Wage and Hour Division district office in Des Moines conducted the investigation that covered the period August 17, 2003 through August 13, 2005. According to Percella Maupins, district director for the Des Moines Wage and Hour office, “Non-exempt employees including clerical workers, nurses, technicians and therapists in certain departments were required to carry pagers during their unpaid meal breaks. Resulting frequent interruptions caused the time spent on meal breaks to be compensable and subject to the overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the FLSA.”

According to Maupins, the facility had not been investigated within the last five years. The employer was cooperative throughout the current investigation and agreed to future compliance with the FLSA.

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employees to be paid the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a week unless the employee is exempt from overtime pay. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

For more information on 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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