Boise company owed workers hundreds of thousands in back wages

A manufacturer in Boise has agreed to pay $717,202 in back pay and damages to settle claims by the U.S. Department of Labor that it broke the Fair Labor Standards Act law.

Forge Building Co., 2619 W. Lampert Drive, makes customized steel structures and storage facilities.

According to the Labor Department:

The company did not pay workers overtime when they stayed on the job more than 40 hours a week. It also illegally deducted money from workers’ paychecks to cover the cost of tools the workers were required to buy. Those two actions resulted in Forge workers effectively making less than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.

After the department’s investigation, Forge agreed to pay minimum wage to eight employees and overtime to 97 employees. The back wages totaled $358,601. The company also agreed to pay an equal amount in damages to the workers, raising their total to $717,202.

“This case allows us to level the playing field for all of the employers who play by the rules,” said the department’s Wage and Hour Division District Director Thomas Silva. “We are dedicated to protect both workers and employers.”

This story was originally published July 5, 2017 at 9:46 AM with the headline "Boise company owed workers hundreds of thousands in back wages."