FONTANA, CA — A Fontana, California pallet company recently reached a settlement agreement with the federal government to resolve claims that the company failed to pay some of its workers for all their wages earned, including overtime pay. As part of the agreement, Forest Green Products Inc will pay a combined $289,215 in back wages and damages to 60 employees and further pledged to implement new recordkeeping procedures to ensure that workers will receive accurate wage statements reflecting all their hours worked and pay earned.
An investigation by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Forest Green Inc failed to pay workers one and a half times their average hourly rate of pay when working more than 40 hours per week. Instead, the company paid its employees in straight time for overtime pay with off the books, cash payments to avoid paying the full time and a half required by federal and state labor laws.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to provide accurate wage statements to their workers detailing all the employee’s hours worked and wages earned. Often times, companies use time card manipulation or intentionally do not document all hours worked to avoid paying their workers for all their hours earned. While most workers trust their employer to follow the law, many unscrupulous companies take advantage of this faith for their own benefit.
“Failing to pay hard-earned overtime hurts employees, and places other employers at a competitive disadvantage,” said Wage and Hour District Director Danny Pasquil, in West Covina. “Agreements like these demonstrate our determination to level the playing field for law-abiding employers.”
The FLSA give wage theft victims the right to hire an experienced and dedicated overtime pay lawsuit attorney to represent them in civil claims against employers to recover back pay and other damages. Workers may be entitled to up to three years of back pay with interest, liquidated damages equal to unpaid earnings, attorneys fees, and court costs to cover the expense of litigating the lawsuit.
Factory Worker 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.