The U.S. Department of Labor says a Park Hills farm business has violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie A. Su filed the complaint on behalf of the department in federal court against Missouri Vegetable Farm LLC as well as operators Benjy Proffer and Robert Proffer.
The lawsuit comes after an investigation by the Wage and Hour Division into the farm's employment and pay practices from May 1, 2021, through December 15, 2021. The investigation found that the defendants failed to pay their employees one-and-one-half times their regular rate for hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. They also allegedly paid workers in cash at an hourly rate less than their straight time rate.
Additionally, the defendants are accused of violating sections of the FLSA that require employers to maintain adequate and accurate records.
The department seeks to prevent further violations and recover unpaid compensation and liquidated damages for the farm's employees.