Community Corner
State Finds Labor Law Violations in Norwalk
The Department of Labor reportedly issued stop work orders to 18 companies working at sites in Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, East Hartford, Bristol, Danbury and Wethersfield during the period of Sept. 26 to Oct. 20.
As part of its ongoing effort to discourage the use of undocumented or misclassified workers at construction sites, the Connecticut Department of Labor's Division of Wage and Workplace Standards reportedly issued stop work orders to 18 companies working at sites in Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, East Hartford, Bristol, Danbury and Wethersfield during the period of Sept. 26 to Oct. 20.
As per an announcement Monday by State Labor Commissioner Glenn Marshall, stop work orders were issued to Balderrama Builders, Lopez Wood Floors and Souza Wood Floors following a visit to a construction site at 506 Westport Ave. on Oct. 3.
In issuing the stop work orders, the DOL hopes to discourage contractors from misclassifying workers as independent contractors for the purpose of avoiding obligations such as workers' compensation, unemployment taxes and payroll reporting.
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Once a contractor is issued a stop work order from the DOL, it must cease all work at the job site and pay a $300 per day in fines for each day the company does not carry workers' compensation coverage.
"Businesses that fail to recognize their workers as employees of their company are not providing certain protections, such as workers' compensation, which ensures that those employees are safe in the event they are injured on the job," Marshall said in a statement. "It is an employer's responsibility, under the law, to ensure that their employees have adequate coverage while at work. When an employer does not pay its fair share, and a worker gets hurt on the job or is laid off, the state's taxpayers ultimately foot the bill."
Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Other companies issued stop work orders in Fairfield County from Sept. 26 to Oct. 20 include Darien Asphalt & Paving; Ernwell; Artisian Tile & Stone; Custom Millwork Installers; ENH Painting; Oliver Drywall; AM Drywall Acoustical Ceiling; and TEAM Electric.
So far this year the DOL has inspected 109 construction projects, reviewed the records of 442 contractors, and issued about 160 stop work orders, with 50 of those identified as out-of-state contractors.
Companies issued a stop work order have 10 days to appeal the decision.
