Winston v. Monahan

**What Happened** Worker Winston sued his former employer, Stealth Construction US, Inc., claiming the company failed to pay him proper wages. Winston argued that the construction company violated federal wage laws by not paying minimum wage for all hours worked and failing to pay overtime when he worked more than 40 hours per week. **What the Court Decided** The court sided with Winston and ordered Stealth Construction to pay him $89,859.43 in damages. This amount covered unpaid minimum wages, unpaid overtime wages, and additional penalty damages under federal law. However, the court awarded less than the $109,367.14 Winston originally requested because it applied federal minimum wage rates instead of higher state minimum wage rates in its calculations. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling reinforces that employers must follow federal wage and hour laws, including paying at least minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime pay for hours exceeding 40 per week. Workers who experience wage theft can successfully recover not only their unpaid wages but also additional penalty damages. The case shows that even when employers don't respond to lawsuits, courts will still carefully review wage claims and ensure workers receive appropriate compensation under federal law.