Ice manufacturers pay over $1M for deliberately denying workers’ earned overtime
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division has recovered more than $1 million in back wages and damages from two California ice manufacturers, San Diego Ice Company in San Diego and California Ice Company in Lake Elsinore. According to the agency, the companies’ common ownership deliberately withheld $527,687 in overtime earned by 70 workers. Many employes worked 16 hours of overtime each week but were only paid regular hourly rates. The companies ignored the federal requirement to track and pay time-and-a-half their workers’ regular hourly rate for hours over 40 in a workweek.
The money collected by the DOL, which includes $527,687 in unpaid overtime and $527,687 in liquidated damages, will be made available to affected employees in a 12-month installment plan. Additionally, the companies will have to pay $36,358 in civil money penalties because of the willful nature of their Fair Labor Standards Act violations.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Wage and Hour Division Assistant District Director Jose Medina said, “The owners of the San Diego Ice Company and California Ice Company willfully violated the rights of 70 hard-working people who work around the clock to help these companies be successful. The U.S. Department of Labor will not tolerate such callous and illegal mistreatment of employees who are simply trying to provide for themselves and their families. We will use all available enforcement tools to hold employers accountable for compliance.”
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