Home Builders Wage Violation Lawsuits | Employees Misclassified As Independent Contractors, Minimum Wage Violations, Unpaid Overtime, Unemployment Workers’ Compensation Insurance | Investigations into: PulteGoup, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton and/or KB Home

Gilman Law LLP is investigating potential wage violation lawsuit claims against the major home building companies, PulteGroup, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton and KB Home, for possible violations of various state and federal labor laws. If you were an “employee” or “independent contractor” for PulteGroup, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton and/or KB Home, we would like to hear from you regarding minimum wage violations, denial of overtime pay and other possible violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Federal Investigations into Home Building Industry Wage Violation Lawsuits

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has opened an investigation into possible wage violations by some of the largest home builders in the country, including PulteGoup, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton and/or KB Home. The DOL investigation is focused on whether these companies committed minimum wage violations and illegally denied overtime pay to their employees. The DOL is also investigating allegations that many home builders misclassify employees as independent contractors to get around federal wage laws. Among other things, independent contractors aren’t covered by many labor protections, including minimum wage and overtime laws, and unemployment or workers’ compensation insurance.

In August, the Labor Department sent letters to large home builders, including Lennar Corp., KB Home, D.R. Horton, and PulteGroup, seeking information about their pay practices. In announcing the investigation, the DOL pointed out that individual probes had uncovered widespread wage violations by residential home builders. In 2010, the DOL imposed more than $7 million in fines following investigations involving 4,000 workers. Officials said violations uncovered included the failure to pay for all hours worked and paying piece-work rates that resulted in pay below the minimum wage.

The DOL has been joined in its investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS has joined the probe because employers don’t withhold income taxes or pay Social Security or Medicare taxes for workers classified as independent contractors. A Government Accountability Office report from 2009 found that the misclassification of workers cost the federal government $2.72 billion in 2006.

Legal Help for Victims of Wage Violations

If you’ve been the victim of minimum wage violations, been denied overtime pay, or were misclassified as an independent contractor while working for PulteGroup, Lennar Corp., D.R. Horton and/or KB Home, Gilman Law can help. For a free evaluation of you case, please fill out the online form on the left or call Toll Free at 1-888-252-0048.