I became employed by Brevard Security Specialists, now known as Florida Private Investigations, in October. I was selected to be assigned to a FEMA contract in Barefoot Bay, FL as an Armed Security Officer at a rate of $10 an hour. 12 hour shifts 6 days a week. 60 hours a week equalled $600 a week, payable weekly. The other armed officers and myself were told that the company recieved an exception to the overtime law.
In January of the owner of the company, Jeff Farless stated to me that FEMA was notified that all Armed Officers were suppose to be paid $16.82 an hour with overtime pay since the beginning of the contract, which entitled all of the officers to extra wages and overtime pay back. Over a period of time I enquired about the back pay and was always told that the contractor (Tarheel) was still trying to get the money from FEMA. It was then that the company was having difficulties paying the employees, sometimes not being paid for 3 weeks at a time.
When FEMA vacated Brevard County the contract expired. I was told by the Security Supervisor who had quit the company that he had been compensated all the back pay and overtime and that the Owners told him that all of the other officers were taken care of too. (*Which we were still being told that the overtime was in the process of being approved*).
After a few months of waiting and getting brushed aside I hired a Law firm to handle the case. After several attempts to serve the Company with a response they refused and I got the judgement. Now my law firm is stating that it will go into collections. They owe several thousands of dollars to the employees and are getting away with stealing hours that were worked. I was told that the Company had already been paid by FEMA and Tarheel. I call that embezzlement.
The Company hold several licenses to operate a Security Company in Florida that require the license holder to have moral value. I'm going to attempt to contact the Department of Consumer and Agriculture services, Division of Licensing and see if they can assist me in putting pressure on this company so I can get what is owed to me. I need this money to pay debts off accrualed during waiting period.
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