US Department of Labor finds urgent care employer failed to pay over $113K in owed wages to workers for required orientation, meetings, training

ATLANTA - The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $113,199 in back wages after an investigation found a Richmond Hill urgent care facility failed to pay its workers for hours worked and retaliated against a worker for questioning its pay practices.

An investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division found that Premier Health Consultants LLC - operating as St. Joseph Candler Urgent Care - violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying straight time instead of time and one-half in overtime for all hours worked over 40 when employees were required to attend mandatory orientation, meetings, and training. The employer also required certain employees to work off the clock, resulting in unpaid overtime, and suspended a worker who questioned pay practices, all violations of the FLSA.

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers are encouraged to use the agency's industry-specific compliance assistance toolkits to learn about their responsibilities under the laws enforced by the division. The agency's PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency's free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.