Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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SEATTLE -- The U.S. Department of Labor reported today that Trust Heating and Air Conditioning, L.L.C., has agreed to pay 56 of its employees a total of $81,829 in back wages for failing to pay the required overtime compensation under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). HVAC installs heating and air conditioning systems.

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division revealed that the employer paid installers on a daily basis without regard to the number of hours worked and without additional compensation for overtime after 40 hours per week, as required by the FLSA. Employees generally averaged 45 hours per week.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that employees are paid properly under the law and receive their rightful overtime pay,” Bonny Crosby, acting district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Portland.

The investigation covered the period from Mar. 15, 2002, until Feb. 15, 2004.

Under the FLSA, covered employees are entitled to one and a half times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek.

The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recovered more than $212 million in back wages in fiscal year (FY) 2003, a 21 percent increase over the record setting amount of FY 2002. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased in FY 2003 from 129 days to 108 days. WHD assessed employers nearly $10 million in civil money penalties in FY 2003.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour office at 206-398-8039 or the department’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information is also available at www.wagehour.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.