Time Is Money: BMW Told To Pay South Carolina Workers Back Wages

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that a complaint and consent judgment with BMW has been reached for unpaid overtime at its South Carolina plant.

The judgment calls for payment of $629,869 in overtime back wages to 1,224 workers in Spartanburg, S.C. The suit was based on an investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division into violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

According to the department, the company failed to pay automobile body and paint shop workers for time spent putting on (donning) and taking off (doffing) required safety gear and for time spent walking to and from work stations, which resulted in unpaid overtime. The period covered in this judgment is between April 2003 and March 2006.

BMW cooperated with the department's investigation and agreed to the entry of the judgment which has been approved by the U.S. District Court in Spartanburg. The company agreed to pay the back wages due and comply with the provisions of the FLSA in the future. The back wages are to be paid within 90 days.