COALMONT, Tenn. (AP) -- An assisted living facility in Coalmont, Tenn., has paid more than $151,000 in back wages to 15 employees following a federal investigation.
According to a news release Thursday from the Department of Labor, Exceptional Enterprises Inc. violated the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Investigators said the employer had been improperly deducting time for sleep from employees' hours, resulting in minimum wage violations for the sleep time that was not compensated. Additionally, the facility failed to pay employees overtime compensation at 1 1/2 times their regular rates.
The news release said an employee who is required to be on duty for less than 24 hours is considered working even if he or she is permitted to sleep or do other personal activities when not busy.
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