Federal Probe Leads To Recovery Of More Than $850K For Local Drywall Workers Denied OT Pay

By Editor, Times of San Diego

October 15, 2021

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 installers, tapers and hangers.

They didn’t receive the additional pay despite working 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.

Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Murray in San Diego said “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,” he added.

The Department of Labor said the case illustrated “that compliance failures by San Diego construction companies continue to be a concern.”

According to the agency, more than $21 million in back wages have been recovered for more than 15,000 workers since 2016. Many of the 1,750 investigations conducted in the region through 2020 took place within the construction industry.

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