Companies Pay More Than $1 Million in Back Wages

Stonington Behavioral Health Inc. and its parent companies have been ordered to pay more than $1 million in back wages to 143 employees and a $49,156 in civil penalties to resolve violations of FLSA overtime requirements.

Stonington Behavioral Health Inc. in North Stonington, doing business as Stonington Institute, and Pennsylvania-based parent companies Universal Health Services Inc. and UHS of Delaware Inc. were accused of paying employees less than the federal minimum and overtime wages.

Under the investigation, full-time employees who worked with substance-abuse patients routinely worked unpaid, unrecorded hours.

The companies will pay a total of $1,075,218 in back wages for the period between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2006. The back wage payments must be made no later than Sept. 5, 2007. The companies also have paid $49,156 in civil monetary penalties.

Latest Minimum Wage News

Nebraska has increased their Minimum Wage from $5.15 per to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007. The minimum wage will increase to $6.55 a year later, and to $7.25 effective July 24, 2009.

Nevada has increased the current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour to $5.30 per hour for employers that offer health benefits, and $6.33 per hour for employer does not provide health benefits, effective July 1, 2007.

Oklahoma has increase the current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour to $5.85 per hour effective July 24, 2007. A year later the hourly wage will increase to $6.55 and following this, another increase of $7.25 effective July 24, 2009.