TAMPA, FL — A Florida landscaping company recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve claims that the company failed to pay dozens of current and former employees all their overtime pay. As part of the agreement, Haines City-based Southern Sod will pay $79,758 in back wages and liquidated damages to 70 employees for violating overtime and record keeping provisions of federal labor and wage laws that all employers are required to follow.
An investigation by the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Southern Sod paid employees flat rates per day, regardless of the number of hours that they worked, and did not pay the workers overtime wages. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that non-exempt workers be paid at least one and a half times their average hourly rate when working more than 40-hours in a week. Furthermore, the FLSA requires employers to provide accurate wage statements to workers detailing all the individual’s hours worked and wages earned.
“It is critical for employers to understand their obligations and responsibilities under the law. Simply because a pay practice may appear to be common in a particular industry does not in any way mean that it complies with the law,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director James Schmidt on the Labor Department’s website. “We encourage all employers to make use of the many tools we provide to help them understand and comply with the law, and to contact us for assistance.”
Under the FLSA, wage theft victims have the right to file unpaid overtime lawsuits against employers to recover up to three years of back pay for intentional violations of the law, liquidated damages equal to back wages, attorneys fees, and other damages the court may see fit. Additionally, the judges hearing FLSA overtime lawsuits may also impose injunctions on business to ensure the company complies with federal wage laws in the future and other workers do not become wage theft victims themselves.
Landscaper Unpaid Overtime 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.