Greater Decatur, GA — A local Chevrolet dealership has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to pay $7,880 in back wages to an employee.

The U.S. Department of Labor says Lamar Ferrell Chevrolet Inc., which does business as Superior Chevrolet and is located on Covington Highway in greater Decatur, wrongly denied an employee paid leave under the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act. The employee had to miss work to care for a child whose childcare provider closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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An employee of Superior Chevrolet, who declined to give his name, said the information provided by the U.S. Department of Labor is generally accurate. He said a follow-up visit by the Department of Labor did not find any additional instances where the company withheld wages owed to an employee and described this as an isolated incident. He declined further comment.

“The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) found that Lamar Ferrell Chevrolet Inc. – operating as Superior Chevrolet – violated the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) by denying the employee paid family leave,” the press release from the Labor Department said. “After WHD contacted the employer, they agreed to pay the back wages and comply with the FFCRA’s requirements in the future.”

FFCRA’s emergency paid sick leave requirements give workers up to two weeks of paid leave at their regular pay and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act provides an additional 10 weeks of paid leave at two-thirds the regular rate of pay so employees can take care of children whose school or childcare provider is closed due to the coronavirus.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is protecting the American workforce during the coronavirus pandemic by ensuring employers comply with all of the requirements of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” Atlanta Wage and Hour Regional Administrator Juan Coria said in the press release. “These protections benefit workers and employers alike. We encourage employers with questions about their responsibilities to reach out to us for information.”

Here’s additional information about the FFCRA, provided by the Department of Labor:

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The FFCRA helps the U.S. combat and defeat the workplace effects of the coronavirus by giving tax credits to American businesses with fewer than 500 employees either to provide employees with paid leave for the employee’s own health needs or to care for family members. Please visit WHD’s “Quick Benefits Tips” for information about how much leave workers may qualify to use, and the wages employers must pay. The law enables employers to provide paid leave reimbursed by tax credits, while at the same time ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their paychecks and the public health measures needed to combat the virus.

WHD continues to provide updated information on its website and through extensive outreach efforts to ensure that workers and employers have the information they need about the benefits and protections of this new law.

Learn more about the laws enforced by WHD, or call 866-4US-WAGE.

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