Outdoors Unlimited, a landscaping company based in Rockvale, Tenn., will pay $52,000 in back wages to 21 employees for violating labor provisions of the H-2B visa program.
According to a press release from the Department of Labor, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) uncovered the violations. WHD determined that Outdoors Unlimited failed to record and pay employees for time they spent loading and unloading trucks before and after their scheduled shifts. The employer also failed to pay for time workers spent traveling between job sites during the workday. This unpaid time resulted in overtime violations when the employees’ actual hours exceeded 40 in a workweek.
The company is also from participating in the H-2B temporary nonagricultural labor certification program for one year.
“Employers must ensure they understand and meet all of their obligations under the H-2B visa program,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nettie Lewis, in Nashville, Tenn. “The Wage and Hour Division is committed to safeguarding American jobs, leveling the playing field for law-abiding employers and protecting vulnerable workers from being paid less than they are legally owed. We encourage employers to reach out to us with questions, and to use the wide variety of tools we offer to help them understand their responsibilities.”
The department offers resources to ensure employers have the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with federal law. These include online videos, confidential calls or in-person visits to local WHD offices.
For more information about the H-2B visa program and other laws enforced by WHD, contact the division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd.
