Moon Landscaping Firm to Pay Back Wages, Damages to Employees

A Moon Township landscaping company has paid more than $78,000 in back wages and damages after an investigation determined that it violated federal regulations governing overtime pay, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Cyrilla Landscaping & Supply, on Thorn Run Road, paid $39,091 in back wages and $39,091 in damages, to be distributed among 29 employees, the Labor Department said in a statement.

An investigation determined that the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying employees at the "straight time" hourly rate for hours worked beyond 40 hours in a week, rather than at the required time-and-a-half rate, labor officials said.

As part of its procedures, Cyrilla moved overtime hours to a separate payroll and paid for those hours with separate checks, according to the Labor Department. The company also violated regulations by paying some workers in cash, by not recording hours worked or payments received, and by not maintaining records for required periods.

 “Workers in the landscaping industry are among the most vulnerable in the workforce,” John DuMont, director of the Labor Department wage and hour division’s Pittsburgh district office, said in a statement.

“This case demonstrates the department’s commitment to use every enforcement tool necessary to ensure that workers are paid the wages they have rightfully earned.”