Department of Labor recovers $56K in back wages, damages from logistics provider that miscalculated 234 workers’ overtime in Indiana, Michigan

Employer: Liberty Hill Equity Partners LLC

559 Liberty Hill

Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Locations: Precision Vehicle Holdings LLC

4401 Fletcher St.

Wayne, MI 48160

5402 Moller Road (Fort Wayne Rail Yard)

Fort Wayne, IN 46806

Investigation findings: An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found Liberty Hill Equity Partners LLC, the Cincinnati-based operator of Precision Vehicle Holdings in Michigan and the Fort Wayne Rail Yard in Indiana, did not include non-discretionary bonuses in employees' regular rate of pay when calculating overtime pay, a violation of Fair Labor Standards Act. The company provides logistics and terminal operations for newly manufactured vehicles.

Division investigators identified the employer's violation when reviewing payroll records for employees in Michigan and Indiana and have since expanded the investigation to include all hourly nonexempt employees at 10 of the company's locations in Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

Liberty Hill Equity Partners LLC traces its beginnings to the Hatfield Coal Company, founded in 1882. The company later became River Trading Company, a holding company, in 2014 and began adding new businesses. In 2019, the company rebranded as Liberty Hill Equity Partners LLC.

Resolution: The company paid a total of $56,884, representing $28,442 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages for 234 employees.

Quote: "Inaccurate overtime calculations are among the most common violations identified in our investigations. Employers can avoid the costly consequences of their errors by contacting the Wage and Hour Division for assistance or by reviewing our overtime compliance assistance materials online," explained Wage and Hour District Director Aaron Loomis in Indianapolis.

Background: Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, overtime pay, a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division and how to file an online complaint. For confidential compliance assistance, employees and employers can call the agency's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), regardless of where they are from.

Download the agency's new Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices - also available in Spanish - to ensure hours and pay are accurate.