A federal investigation into employees working off-the-clock during meal breaks by one of the world’s largest security and facility services providers led to the recovery of nearly $1.1 million in back wages and liquidated damages for 778 employees and a nationwide enhanced agreement to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime and recordkeeping provisions.
The Department of Labor’s found Universal Protection Service LP – operating as Allied Universal Security Services – deducted 45 minutes from employees’ workdays automatically but often required security workers to remain at their posts for all or some of the meal breaks. Division investigators learned the employer failed to make proper adjustments to employees’ hours when they worked during these breaks, which violated federal overtime and recordkeeping regulations.
“As one of the nation’s largest private-sector employers, Allied Universal Security Services has a responsibility to make sure they pay their employees all of their legally earned wages,” explained a Department of Labor representative. “Our investigation found the company made improper deductions from security employees’ work hours for meal breaks when, in fact, the employer often told them to remain at their posts or to work during these breaks.”
Unlawful automatic deductions are a common wage theft issue. Pechman Law Group recently filed a lawsuit against SSA Group which alleged that the company automatically deducted for breaks that were not actually taken by employees.
If you believe you are victim of wage theft, please contact the attorneys at Pechman Law Group at 212-583-9500. We have recovered over 30 million dollars on behalf of workers who have been cheated out of their overtime or have been subjected to unlawful pay practices.
