Guaynabo PR - An enforcement initiative by the U.S. Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division targeting the security guard industry in Puerto Rico has resulted in the recovery of almost $1.3 million in back wages on behalf of almost 5,000 workers over the past three years.

According to David R. Heffelfinger, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in Guaynabo, most of the workers involved in these cases are security guards being paid the minimum wage. Most violations resulted because the companies often require employees to work overtime but do not properly pay them for overtime hours. "Security guard companies in Puerto Rico have a chronic history of requiring employees to work over 40 hours per week and then paying them straight time for all hours worked," he said. "The FLSA clearly requires the payment of time and one-half for all hours worked over 40 in a single work week."

During the three-year period, the Wage and Hour Division investigated 181 security guard companies across Puerto Rico. A total of 139 employers were found in violation of the FLSA. So far, 112 of those employers have paid a total of $1,287,044 - primarily in overtime back wages - to 4,995 workers. Seventeen of these employers were also assessed at total of $440,967 in civil money penalties payable to the U.S. Department of Labor. According to Heffelfinger, three investigations resulted in lawsuits in which the Labor Department obtained judgments of the court ordering the employers to pay more than $296,677 to 222 employees.

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Further Information:
U.S. Labor Department's Puerto Rico Security Guard Company Enforcement Initiative Recovers Almost $1.3 Million in Back Wages for Workers Over Three Year Period

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