SPARTANBURG — A Cowpens plumbing company short-changed its employees who worked overtime and illegally deducted money from their paycheck if they arrived late for work, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Wage and Hour Division investigators found that Williams Plumbing and Associates paid its employees time-and-a-half for only the first five hours of overtime in a 40-hour work week. For any additional hours worked, the company reverted to paying regular wages, which violates the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Investigators also discovered the company violated the law by withholding 25 cents per minute for every minute an employee arrived late for work and failed to keep accurate records of employees' work hours and driving time, the news release said.
The department recovered $25,364 in back wages and damages for 17 workers.
“Employers must ensure that their workers are paid the wages they earned in accordance with the law,” Columbia-based Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel said in the news release.
“They cannot defy their legal requirements by incorporating random, internal rules that penalize workers,” Benefiel added. “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.”
Ownership at Williams Plumbing and Associates did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
