Another trainer owes back pay and civil penalties after a slew of Federal violations

September 18, 2020

In a story first reported by the Miami Herald, George Weaver and Weaver Racing according to the Department of Labor owes $325,431 in back pay to groomers and hot walkers along with an additional $99,567 in civil penalties. Weaver was found to have been violating the Fair Labor Standards act as well as H2B Visa Program. Reportedly Weaver instructed workers to lie to Wage and Hour auditors as well as attempted to intimidate anyone from coming forward to the Wage and Hour investigators.

Weaver admitted in a Federal Court judgement that he short paid his employees to the tune of over $150k in overtime wages that worked in Elmont and Saratoga New York. Weaver was hit with a civil penalty of $15,147 for not keeping accurate payroll records and for overtime violations. Weaver admitted to making workers pay for covering the companies attorneys fees and Visa filing costs. The Wage and Hour law was created to keep employers from taking advantage of employees who work overtime or through their breaks.

The H2B Visa program penalized Weaver to the tune of $259,519, a program designed to help employers find seasonal or limited workers that are imported from other countries. The violations in total were;

▪ Ordered workers to “underreport their hours” to Wage and Hour auditors.

▪ Attempted to “intimidate employees from participating in WHD’s investigation.”

▪ Forced the H-2B workers pay the cost of getting to and from their workplaces.

▪ Mandated that the H-2B workers pay for getting to the United States for their visas.

▪ “Took cash from workers to cover the company’s legal and visa filing fees.”

▪ Failed to pay his H-2B workers the required hourly wage, which is required to be at least equal whichever is the highest between the prevailing wage, the applicable federal minimum wage, the state’s minimum wage, or the local minimum wage. Weaver owed $175,099 to 59 workers, $3,126.76 per employee.

Weaver was also fined an additional $84,420 in civil penalties according to the Department of Labor. Weaver’s most recent training successes being with standouts, Carter and Met Mile winner Vekoma and Ogden Phipps G1 runner up and last years Black Eyed Susan winner Point of Honor. George Weaver also helped develop Kentucky Derby winners Grindstone and Thunder Gulch, Preakness and Belmont winner Tabasco Cat, as well as Mother Goose and Black-Eyed Susan winner Serena’s Song.

Photo Credit: NYRA

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