SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A San Diego drywall company failed to pay hundreds of its workers overtime wages as required by federal law, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday.
New Vision Drywall Inc. -- operating as Performance Drywall -- "intentionally" denied overtime wages to 568 drywall installers, tapers and hangers, who worked up to 58 hours per week, according to a Department of Labor statement.
An ensuing federal investigation led to the recovery of $860,608 in back wages and liquidated damages for the workers, as well as an assessment of nearly $50,000 in civil penalties against the company.
"Performance Drywall understood overtime wages and the rules for paying it but made a costly choice to recklessly disregard the law. By doing so, this employer hurt their workers and their families by denying them all of their hard-earned wages," said Wage and Hour District Director Eric Murray in San Diego.
The Department of Labor said the case illustrated "that compliance failures by San Diego construction companies continues to be a concern."
According to the agency, more than $21 million in back wages have been recovered for more than 15,000 workers throughout 1,750 investigations conducted in the region between 2016 and 2020, many of which took place within the construction industry.
