The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has ordered Reynolds Baldwin III—doing business as Copperheard Construction—to pay back $501,000 in back wages and liquidated damages after an investigation by the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. According to a news release from the agency, Baldwin III must pay 82 employees to resolve violations of the minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standard Act.
Investigations by the Wage and Hour Division found Baldwin III failed to pay employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a week and the company illegally altered time records to record and pay fewer hours than employees had actually worked. The investigation found the owner also failed to maintain accurate records of hours worked.
"This case should remind all employers to ensure their pay practices follow the law, and that we encourage them to contact the Wage and Hour Division with their questions about compliance assistance," Nashville district director Nettie Lewis said in the news release.
