by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
A South Brunswick information technology company has to pony up after an U.S. Department of Labor investigation revealed it was underpaying foreign workers in the country on temporary visas.
R-Square, Inc., on Independence Way, has agreed to pay a total of $95,711 to 12 foreign IT consultants who were not paid the legal minimum for their services, according to Department of Labor spokeswoman Leni Fortson. An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division revealed that the 12 foreign workers had been underpaid from May 2006 through July 2007.
She said that the sum will be divided among the workers based on length of employment and services performed.
Ms. Fortson said the pay outs range from a low of $26.66, to a high of $15,358.
The workers were in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act’s H-1B visa program, which allows foreign computer technicians, engineers, physicians and teachers to enter the country and legally work for up to three years, according to Ms. Fortson.
The workers at R-Square involved in the underpayment held visas valid from May 2006 through July 2007, Ms. Fortson said.
Those who employ these individuals are required to pay them the area’s prevailing wage for their profession, which prevents companies from hiring foreign workers just to save money on wages, Ms. Fortson said.
”The law states that they have to be paid the same rate as U.S. workers,” Ms. Fortson said. “This keeps companies from undercutting American workers.”
Phone calls to R-Square seeking comment were not returned.