LOUISVILLE, KY — A Kentucky plumbing contractor recently agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve claims that it failed to properly pay several workers in violation of various federal labor and wage laws. As part of the agreement, Erlanger-based D&B Plumbing will pay a combined $73,470 in back wages, overtime, and fringe benefits for breaking federal wage laws for government contractors.
According to an investigation by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, D&B Plumbing violated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) when it failed to pay its plumberes the prevailing wage while working on a senior housing project funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The DBRA requires government contractors and subcontractors be paid fairly based on their job type and the company in this case classified the workers as “laborers” to pay them less than a plumber would make.
Furthermore, D&B Plumbing, doing business as Signature Plumbing, failed to pay the workers their proper overtime wages based on what should have been the prevailing wage for plumbers working on a similar contract. Instead of basing overtime on either the weighted average of those rates or on the rate in effect when the overtime hours were worked, the employer based the overtime calculation on the lowest hourly rate earned by the employee.
“No contractor should gain an economic advantage by paying workers below the wages and fringe benefits required on a prevailing wage project,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Karen Garnett, in Louisville. “Not only does this practice undercut what the workers involved are legally owed for their work, it results in unfair competition for contractors who play by the rules.”
Under the law, workers must be paid one and a half their wages for working more than 40 hours in a week. Some laws, like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), give workers the right to hire private attorneys to file unpaid overtime lawsuits against employers to recover their back pay, damages, and attorneys fees to litigate the claim.
Federal Contractor Overtime Pay Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.