Employer: Williams Plumbing & Associates Inc.
243 Battleground Road
Cowpens, SC 29330
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the Cowpens plumbing company paid employees a time-and-a-half rate for only the first five hours over 40 in a workweek. After that, the employer reverted to paying employees their regular rate of pay for all hours after 45, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also violated the FLSA by deducting $.25 per minute for every minute employees arrived late for work and failed to keep accurate records of the hours worked and driving time for employees.
Back wages and liquidated damages recovered: $25,364 in back wages and liquidated damages for 17 workers.
Quote: “Workers’ wages are protected by law. Employers must ensure that their workers are paid the wages they earned in accordance with the law. They cannot defy their legal requirements by incorporating random, internal rules that penalize workers,” explained Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “We encourage employers to contact us for guidance on how to comply with laws related to their employment practices and to use our comprehensive online educational resources to prevent violations similar to those found in this case.