Company, owner must pay heft fine for retaliating against worker: court
An employer must pay a hefty fine after a U.S. District Court found them guilty of retaliating against a worker, along with other violations.
The company – 811 Autoworks LLC, operating as AOK Walker Luxury Autoworks – and its owner – Miles Walker – have been tasked to pay $39,934, representing back wages owed and an equal amount in liquidated damages, to nine workers.
An investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labour’s Wage and Hour Division found that the employer retaliated against a former employee who contacted the division after the employer failed to pay his final wages.
Following the incident, AOK Walker Luxury Autoworks paid the former employee’s final wages of $915 by delivering about 91,500 oil-covered pennies and a pay stub marked with an expletive to the worker’s home.
Andreas Flaten filed the complaint with state labor regulators back in 2021.
The employer also published defamatory statements about the former employee on the company’s website, according to the DOL division.
“The court has sent a clear message to employers such as Miles Walker who subject employees to unfair wage practices and outright intimidation and retaliation. By law, worker engagement with the U.S. Department of Labor is a protected activity. Workers should not fear harassment or intimidation in the workplace,” said Tremelle Howard, DOL regional...
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