HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered more than half a million dollars in back wages and liquidated damages for 139 employees of a federal construction contractor on Guam found to have violated federal laws, the agency announced in a press release.
“Investigators with (U.S. DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division determined Ian Corp. – operating as Ian Construction – violated multiple federal regulations governing the employment of workers on projects supported by federal funds. The division found the company and owner Jihyung P. Chong violated prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and the overtime requirements of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay for all hours worked,” U.S. DOL said in the release.
According to the release, the Wage and Hour Division recovered $295,420 in back wages and $251,957 in liquidated damages for the 139 employees. But in addition to the back wages and damages, the company’s “repeated and willful violations” led U.S. DOL to assess $50,000 in penalties, U.S. DOL added in the release.
“This is not the first time the department has investigated Ian Construction. The division previously investigated this federal contractor in 2012, 2016 and 2021 for multiple violations, including overtime, health and welfare benefits, driving time, hours not paid and illegal deductions, resulting in a combined recovery of $10,849 for 44 workers,” U.S. DOL said in the release.
Wage and Hour Division District Director Terence Trotter stated in the release that baseline wage standards for workers must be adhered to at all times.
“Counting and paying for all hours worked, including mandated breaks of short duration, isn’t just a good idea – it’s the law,” he added.
The entrance to Ian Corp. is seen Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Barrigada.
