San Clemente Company Pays Out $242K+ in Back Wages

A San Clemente company that owed its employees more than $242,000 in back wages has made good on that debt, the U.S. Department of Labor announced today.

Solis Lighting and Electrical Services paid $242,563 in back wages to 101 local employees after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the San Clemente-based employer in violation of the overtime and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to a press release from the federal agency.

The investigation by the division’s San Diego district office disclosed that Solis – a lighting, energy management and electrical services company that serves more than 2,000 locations across 11 states – did not pay workers an overtime premium for hours worked beyond 40 per week, as required by federal law, according to the Labor Department.

The employees affected were all local to the company’s headquarters in San Clemente, said Jose Carnevali, spokesman for the department.

The employer also kept another payroll record for travel time, paying employees separately for work time spent in travel at the regular hourly rate, even when total work hours exceeded 40 per week, the press release states.

Additionally, the employer routinely deducted a 30-minute meal break from the workers’ daily work hours, even though employees worked through their meal breaks.

The violations occurred throughout a two-year period, going back to February 2011, Carnevali said.

In a statement, Kenneth Morrison, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s San Diego district office said vigorous enforcement ensures employee protection and an even-playing field for employers.

 “Employers are responsible for paying for all hours of work and need to make sure their employees are getting an uninterrupted meal break before making deductions,” he said. “We have worked with the company to expand their understanding of the law and to prevent any further violations from occurring.”

Solis Lighting and Electrical has paid the back wages in full and implemented new policies to comply with FLSA requirements, such as converting salaried employees to hourly pay and having employees complete their own time sheets. The lighting, energy management and electrical services company serves more than 2,000 locations across 11 states.