February 11, 2022
Concrete News
A judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York orders Macedo Construction Inc., Macedo Contracting Services Inc., Odecam Concrete Supply Corp. and Manuel Macedo. to pay 99 workers a total of $987,591 in back wages and liquidated damages, plus $53,249 in civil penalties to the Department of Labor (DOL).
The action settles charges of willful Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA) violations identified in a DOL Wage and Hour Division investigation. It found Manuel Macedo and his Bellport, N.Y. companies failed to combine the hours laborers worked at the three commonly owned businesses, and paid them with multiple checks to evade overtime requirements. Each separate check showed the employees logged less than 40 hours per workweek when they actually worked a combined total of up to 48 hours per week. The companies also neglected to pay employees for time spent traveling from work yards to jobsites, and retain accurate records of the employees’ work hours and pay rates.
“The scheme by Macedo Construction, Macedo Contracting Services, Odecam Concrete Supply Corp. and Manuel Macedo deprived their employees of nearly $491,000 in hard-earned wages over three years,” says WHD District Director David An. “In addition to the back wages, the employer must pay these workers an equal amount in liquidated damages, plus interest. We encourage other employers to consider this investigation’s outcome, review their own pay practices and contact the Wage and Hour Division to avoid similar violations. The consequences of noncompliance with federal labor laws can be serious and expensive.”