The Maine Department of Labor (MDOL) announced Monday that it has negotiated the recovery of over $20,000 owed collectively to 22 workers across three companies.

A combined $7,915.22 was recovered in owed wages and liquidated damages for seven workers at Law Calibration, LLC in Saco.

$655.38 in wages and $1,310.76 in liquidated damages was recovered for four workers at Dollar General in resolving a complaint of violations of the Maine Equal Pay Act.

Lincoln Infrastructure, LLC has agreed to pay a total of $10,253.76 in liquidated damages to 11 employees by October 7, as well as an $8,000 penalty.

“Employers must pay workers the wages they have earned, when they are due,” said Jason Moyer-Lee, Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards (BLS). “When they do not, it effectively forces the worker into providing the employer an interest-free loan. It is right that the workers then be compensated for the hardship through the payment of liquidated damages.”

These three cases predate the implementation of a new policy giving the MDOL authority to order employers to pay back wages, liquidated damages, and interest to workers affected by labor law violations.

This change came as a bill approved by lawmakers along strictly party lines and signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills (D) in April of this year went into effect in early August.

Under this new law, violators may be required to pay as much as “twice the amount of unpaid wages as liquidated damages and a reasonable rate of interest” in addition to the wages due.

Consequently, businesses in violation of state wage laws may need to pay as much as three times the amount an employee was underpaid, plus interest.

During this bill’s public hearing, several organizations representing various business interests in Maine offered testimony in opposition to this legislation, arguing that it assumes employers are acting in bad faith and would make the state a less attractive environment for businesses.

The Maine People’s Alliance spoke in support of this legislation alongside state-level labor organizations, suggesting that it would serve to prevent the “exploitation of workers” and help “deter wage theft.”

“Employers must pay workers the wages they have earned, when they are due,” said Jason Moyer-Lee, Director of the BLS.