Schools

FAMU employees to get back pay

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 12, 2008

More than 350 Florida A&M University employees will receive $272,988 in back wages, following a federal investigation that found widespread violations of overtime and record-keeping rules, the U.S. Department of Labor announced Friday.

"Public agencies have an obligation to follow the (Fair Labor Standards Act) as it pertains to them and to keep accurate time records," Michael Young, director of the Wage and Hour Division's Jacksonville District Office, said in a press release. "The department will continue our efforts to ensure that governments as well as private businesses are paying employees properly."

According to the release: "Investigators found that the school failed to total the hours when employees worked in different departments or jobs during a workweek resulting in some employees not receiving credit for overtime when their total hours exceeded 40 in a workweek. In addition, it was determined that employees were awarded compensatory time on an hourly basis rather than at a rate of 1.5 hours for each hour accrued, and employees were allowed to accrue in excess of 240 hours of compensatory time in a leave year."

It was not clear from the release how far back the violations go, or which departments were involved. A FAMU representative did not immediately return a call and an e-mail for comment.

[Last modified January 11, 2008, 23:14:14]