Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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JUNEAU, Wis. --

The owners of three residential care facilities located in Juneau, Beaver Dam and Ripon, Wis. have agreed to pay $43,998 in overtime back wages to nine residential counselors after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

A Wage and Hour investigation determined that between January 2004 and January 2006, the company paid the counselors a day rate for 24 hours of work without additional half time for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek. The counselors worked as many as five days per week at Caring House, Beaver Dam, Wis., Victory House, Juneau, Wis., and Faith House, Ripon, Wis. The business owners cooperated with investigators and agreed to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act in the future.

“The Labor Department is committed to ensuring that workers, especially low-wage workers, are paid all the wages due them under the law,” said Jose L. Medina, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Minneapolis.

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

For more information about the FLSA, call the department’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243); visit the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov; or contact the Minneapolis Wage and Hour Division office, 331 Second Ave. South, Suite 920, Minneapolis, 612-370-3371.

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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.