US Department of Labor recovers more than $180K in back wages, damages for 63 Colorado HVAC employees

Employer name:        Comfort Air of Grand Junction LLCInvestigation site:     746 Scarlet St.                                            Grand Junction, CO 81505Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the employer failed to pay 63 employees time and one-half for all hours worked greater than 40 hours a week and failed to include travel time when determining total hours worked, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Back wages and damages: $90,086 in owed back wages, $90,086 in liquidated damages.Quote: “Paying workers the wages they are owed is a legal requirement and a fundamental principle that creates a fair work environment,” said Wage and Hour District Director Chad Frasier in Denver. “The Wage and Hour Division will continue to hold employers accountable and protect the rights of all workers.”Background: In fiscal year 2023, investigations by the Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $274 million in back wages for nearly 163,000 workers. These were wages owed for work performed but not paid by employers.