Brown Goldstein & Levy associate Kevin Docherty lately spoke to The Washington Publish about Part 14(c) of the Honest Labor Requirements Act, which permits employers to pay folks with disabilities lower than minimal wage.
The Washington Publish carried out an investigation into the implementation of 14(c) and printed a three-part sequence on its historical past, its affect on staff who’re paid lower than minimal wage, and the struggle to repeal it. The investigation revealed that a minimum of 38 p.c of present employers in this system have violated the foundations supposed to safeguard staff receiving subminimum wages, dishonest them out of tens of millions in pay.
Employers who want to make the most of Part 14(c) should apply for a certificates by way of an software to the Division of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Practically 1,000 employers in the US maintain 14(c) certificates, and round 200 employers are awaiting certificates acceptance.
Roughly 50,000 folks with disabilities are paid lower than minimal wage. Many work in “segregated sheltered workshops,” the place they’re remoted with little or no contact with non-disabled individuals.
Kevin spoke to The Washington Publish about how these practices are tough to fight due to potential prices and difficulties navigating the authorized system.
“Even in terms of imposing their rights, folks with disabilities are at a drawback,” Kevin stated.
For greater than a decade, BGL and Kevin have represented staff employed below Part 14(c) of their struggle for truthful and non-discriminatory wages, together with three people who efficiently challenged their receipt of subminimum wages in an administrative continuing earlier than the US Division of Labor. Learn extra about that victory right here.
Learn the complete Washington Publish article right here.
ABOUT KEVIN DOCHERTY
Kevin’s various observe contains representing enterprise and businesspeople in possession disputes, breach of contract actions, and different high-stakes industrial litigation. Kevin additionally represents people in civil rights litigation, employment disputes, and private harm issues. Study extra about Kevin right here.
ABOUT BROWN GOLDSTEIN & LEVY
Based in 1982, Brown Goldstein & Levy is a regulation agency primarily based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an workplace in Washington, D.C. The agency is nationally acknowledged in all kinds of observe areas, together with complicated civil and industrial litigation, civil rights, well being care, household regulation, and felony protection. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered regulation agency that brings many years of expertise and passionate, efficient advocacy to your struggle for justice.
