Shreveport landscaper ordered to pay back wages

A landscaper was recently fined $77,582 in backwages by a federal court. According to the prosecution, Hoogland’s Nursery had improperly deducted extra time for lunch periods, paid straight time to its laborers for all hours worked without overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek and misclassified two additional employees, resulting in unpaid overtime. Immigration Watchdoge

Shreveport-based Hoogland’s Nursery, LLC, has been ordered by a federal court to pay $77,582 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana ruled that Hoogland’s Nursery had improperly deducted extra time for lunch periods, paid straight time to its laborers for all hours worked without overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek and misclassified two additional employees, resulting in unpaid overtime. The court rejected the company’s argument that a proper day rate was used to pay laborers and foremen.

“Workers are entitled to be paid for all hours worked,” Cynthia Watson, the Wage and Hour Division’s regional administrator for the Southwest, said in a prepared statement. “In this case, the employer deducted one hour for lunch breaks, when employees were only taking 30 minutes for their breaks. This practice is unacceptable.”

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $6.55 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week.

Source: ShreveportTimes.com