Global Courant
A Georgia auto shop operator was ordered by a court to pay $39,934 in back wages and damages to nine employees following a lawsuit from the Department of Labor.
The court’s decision comes after Miles Walker, the owner of Peachtree City auto repair shop A OK Walker Autoworks, made former employee Andreas Flaten his final payment in January 2021 in the form of 91,500 oil-covered pennies, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.
Flaten contacted the Department of Labor after Walker refused to give him his last paycheck. After the Wage and Hour Division contacted Walker about the situation, he tossed the pennies in Flaten’s driveway, accompanied by a pay stub with an expletive. He also posted a defamatory statement about the former employee on the company’s website.
In January 2022, the Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against Walker.
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A Georgia auto shop operator was ordered by a court to pay $39,934 in back wages and damages to nine workers. (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)
Walker was found to have violated the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying Flaten and other employees flat rates for all hours worked, including when an employee worked more than 40 hours in a work week, despite being paid an overtime rate. legally required.
The court ordered Walker to pay $39,934 to nine employees for back wages and an equal amount of damages.
“The court has sent a clear message to employers like Miles Walker who subject employees to unfair wage practices and outright harassment and retaliation. Under the law, employee involvement with the U.S. Department of Labor is a protected activity. Employees should not fear harassment or harassment in the workplace,” said Tremelle Howard, regional attorney for the Atlanta Department of Labor, in a statement. “Employers who mistakenly believe they may intentionally violate labor laws to the detriment of employees and competitors will do everything we can to bring them to justice.”
The Department of Labor filed a lawsuit against the car shop owner in January 2022. (Getty)
The judge’s order also permanently bans Walker from violating federal minimum wage and overtime regulations and requires him to remove all photos of and references to Flaten from the company website, and never post about the former employee again.
Walker must also immediately post the consent order in all conspicuous places in his facility where employee notices are commonly posted, and conspicuously display a department factsheet on the prohibition of retaliation under the FLSA at his facility.
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The auto shop operator gave his former employee his final payment in the form of 91,500 oil-covered pennies. (Getty)
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“Employees have the right to receive what they deserve without fear of harassment or harassment,” Atlanta regional administrator of wages and hours, Juan Coria, said in a statement. “The Wage and Hours Division will use all available tools to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and that employers do not retaliate against them for enforcing those rights. This case should let employers know that retaliation will not be tolerated.”
