Department of Labor Obtains Judgment Ordering Phoenix Employer to Pay $281,000 After Forcing Employees to Repay Recovered Wages

Summary:

A federal court in Arizona has ordered Fox Real Estate Group Inc., operating as Sparklean Laundry and Piper, to pay a total of $281,870 after the US Department of Labor discovered that the employer demanded that workers return money they were not owed. The company had previously agreed to pay workers for hours worked over 40 per week, but then demanded the return of these payments and presented fake receipts, threatening workers who exercised their labor rights. The Department of Labor obtained a consent judgment and order requiring the employer to pay $87,735 in unpaid wages, $94,135 in damages, and an additional $100,000 in punitive damages. This case highlights the importance of protecting workers from unfair labor practices and the consequences of violating federal labor laws.