SOL Harvesting LLC, a Haines City, Fla., farm labor contractor, has paid $53,428 in back wages and $2,368 in civil penalties for violating labor provisions of the H-2A visa program, the US Department of Labor reported.
Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined SOL Harvesting LLC, owned by Roberto Carlos Cendejas Perez, failed to:
- Provide the employees copies of their work contracts
- Reimburse the employees for inbound travel expenses from their home countries
- Reimburse the employees for their visa and border fees within their first workweek
- Provide required transportation and housing that met minimum safety and health standards
In addition to the back wages found due, WHD assessed a civil money penalty of $2,368 for the violations.
“Any employer seeking H-2A workers must be ready and willing to abide by all the program’s requirements, and must not attempt to shift any of the employer’s costs onto the workers,” said Wage and Hour District Director Daniel White, in Jacksonville, Fla. “The US Department of Labor will continue to safeguard American jobs, level the playing field for law-abiding employers, and ensure that workers are paid the wages that they legally earned. We encourage employers to contact the Wage and Hour Division by phone, online, or to attend any of our outreach events for assistance and to learn more about their responsibilities.”
SOL Harvesting LLC provided 99 farmworkers to harvest cucumbers, cabbage, kale, and onions at Scott’s Farms in Mt. Dora, Florida.
