Hospital Pays $1.3M After FLSA and FMLA Investigation
New Hanover Regional Medical Center has paid more than $1,336,000 in back wages
to more than 3,400 employees after the U.S. Department of Labor accused the
Wilmington, North Carolina, hospital of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Investigators from the department's Wage and Hour Division alleged that the
hospital failed to pay employees in all departments for time worked before and
after scheduled hours and for lunch breaks of less than 30 minutes. The recalculation
of hours worked resulted in $1,311,295 in back overtime wages for 3,427 employees,
according to the department.
The investigators also alleged that the hospital wrongfully terminated one
employee, who was covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act. The department
said the worker was entitled to $24,921 in back wages.
The Wage and Hour Division recovered nearly $200 million in back wages in fiscal
year (FY) 2004 for more than 288,000 workers.
