Attorney General Schwalb Secures More Than $166k for Workers and the District

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb today announced that Unique On The Go Corporation, a car detailing and rental car management company, will pay $166,011 to resolve allegations that the company paid 84 workers less than the minimum wage and deprived them of overtime wages when they worked more than 40 hours in a week by falsely classifying them as independent contractors instead of employees.

"We will not allow companies to illegally boost their profits, strip their workers of labor protections, and undercut their competitors by misclassifying their workforce," said Attorney General Schwalb. "This settlement holds Unique On The Go accountable for violating DC labor laws, puts wages back in the pockets of workers who were harmed, and helps ensure that when businesses play by the rules, they are competing on a level playing field."

Unique On The Go Corporation (Unique) is a car detailing and rental car fleet management company. It also contracts with car rental companies, dealerships, and other facilities to provide janitorial services, auto maintenance services, and staffing.

An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) uncovered evidence that Unique classified 84 of its District workers as independent contractors, despite exercising enough control over them that they should be considered employees under DC employment laws. As a result of this misclassification, these workers routinely made less than DC's minimum wage, were never paid overtime wages when they worked over 40 hours in a week and did not receive sick and safe leave under the District's Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Law.

Under the terms of a settlement agreement to resolve OAG's allegations, Unique will:

• Pay $111,008 to harmed workers. This includes restitution for unpaid wages and overtime, as well as liquidated damages.
  
• Pay $55,003 to the District in civil penalties.
  
• Properly classify DC workers as employees. During OAG's investigation, Unique reclassified its DC workers as employees. The company will implement and maintain policies and procedures to prevent future misclassification and will conduct a review of any District workers still classified as independent contractors to ensure they are not misclassified.
  
• Report on compliance to OAG. For a year after the settlement date, Unique must submit quarterly reports to OAG listing the number of DC workers classified as independent contractors and a description of each of their roles.

A copy of the settlement is available here.

This matter was handled by former Assistant Attorney General Christian Whitmer, Assistant Attorney General Norman Anderson, Assistant Section Chief Dennis A. Corkery, and Section Chief Graham Lake.

What is Worker Misclassification?

Under DC law, businesses must pay employees a minimum wage of $17.95 per hour, provide overtime pay, allow workers to accrue paid sick leave, and contribute toward their federal and state taxes. Businesses do not have the same legal responsibilities to independent contractors, who must pay all their own taxes, are not protected by most wage-and-hour laws, and do not have access to workers' compensation or unemployment insurance.

Businesses must meet specific legal requirements to classify workers as independent contractors instead of employees. However, some companies misclassify workers as independent contractors to reduce costs, evade taxes, and strip workers of labor protections.

OAG's Efforts to Protect Workers

OAG's Workers' Rights and Antifraud Section is dedicated to fighting wage theft, protecting District workers, and ensuring that businesses in the District compete on a level playing field. Since AG Schwalb became the District's elected, independent Attorney General in January 2023, OAG has secured more than $20 million for workers and the District. In total, since gaining independent wage theft enforcement authority in 2015, OAG has secured over $35 million by investigating and bringing enforcement actions against employers who violate District law. OAG's wage theft enforcement efforts have focused on industries with high populations of vulnerable workers, such as construction, restaurants and hospitality, healthcare, and the gig economy. Learn more about OAG's efforts to uphold workers' rights over the last year in OAG's 2025 Labor Day Report.

How to Report Wage and Hour Violations

Workers who believe that their rights have been violated, or that they have experienced wage theft or other wage and hour violations, can contact OAG by calling (202) 724-7730 or emailing [email protected] or [email protected].

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