DOL’s Wage and Hour Collects Record $322 Million in Back Pay

The Labor Department collected $322 million in back wages for workers in fiscal year 2019, eclipsing its record for the second straight year, according to figures the agency announced Oct. 28.

The majority of the DOL Wage and Hour Division’s collection came from cases in which employers were found to have failed to pay time-and-a-half overtime for hours beyond 40 in a week—$186 million in recovered wages—or at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, or $40 million. The numbers, which the agency posted online, come from fiscal year 2019 ending Sept. 30.

“Through rigorous enforcement and ...