[US] Backpay award for employees with developmental disabilities

The US Department of Labor has recovered $38,891 in back wages for 55 adult employees with developmental disabilities after finding their employer had failed to renew its federal certification to pay them subminimum wages yet continued to do so, Public Radio East reports.

Federal law allows employers to pay a below minimum wage to workers with disabilities if they also provide them with resources such as career counselling and referrals and access to competitive integrated employment.

The employer, NOVA I.C. Inc., is a North Carolina non-profit. The organisation told investigators that janitorial, cleaning, lawn services and clerical work was performed by workers with disabilities as part of their education and rehabilitation programme and not actual hours worked.

Rather than paying the employees wages, as required, the company reportedly paid a bi-weekly allowance of $20. Despite the fact that the same type of work was listed in their previous certificate as work.

NOVA I.C. Inc. places its workers in various trades such as lawn care, cleaning and maintenance at residential homes in and around Goldsboro, Greenville and Warsaw NC.

Source: Public Radio East

The US Department of Labor has recovered $38,891 in back wages for 55 adult employees with developmental disabilities after finding their employer had failed to renew its federal certification to pay them subminimum wages yet continued to do so, Public Radio East reports.

Federal law allows employers to pay a below minimum wage to workers with disabilities if they also provide them with resources such as career counselling and referrals and access to competitive integrated employment.

The employer, NOVA I.C. Inc., is a North Carolina non-profit. The organisation told investigators that janitorial, cleaning, lawn services and clerical work was performed by workers with disabilities as part of their education and rehabilitation programme and not actual hours worked.

Rather than paying the employees wages, as required, the company reportedly paid a bi-weekly allowance of $20. Despite the fact that the same type of work was listed in their previous certificate as work.

NOVA I.C. Inc. places its workers in various trades such as lawn care, cleaning and maintenance at residential homes in and around Goldsboro, Greenville and Warsaw NC.

Source: Public Radio East