California Construction News staff writer
A Newport Beach, California, construction company and its operators have been ordered to pay more than $468,000 in back wages and damages after a federal investigation found widespread violations of wage and overtime laws affecting 137 workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor secured a consent judgment against SCA General Contracting, along with operators Sundeep Pandhoh and Gary Tetone, following a court order approved Dec. 17, 2025, by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The action stems from an investigation conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division, which found that from Nov. 1, 2024, through Nov. 30, 2025, the company repeatedly failed to issue paycheques on time, paid some workers below the federal minimum wage, and did not provide required overtime compensation for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.
Investigators also determined the company retaliated against employees who raised concerns about missing or inaccurate pay.
“Employers will be held accountable by the Wage and Hour Division if they commit wage violations or retaliate against workers who exercise their rights,” said Acting Western Regional Administrator Cesar Avila. “We encourage workers who experience retaliation to contact us for help.”
As part of the judgment, the court ordered SCA General Contracting to compensate affected workers for unpaid wages and damages, and to reinstate an employee who was terminated after complaining about pay issues.
Regional Solicitor Marc Pilotin in San Francisco said the case reflects the department’s enforcement approach when employers fail to meet legal obligations.
“Employees count on being paid accurately and timely, and the law protects them when they complain,” Pilotin said. “The Solicitor’s Office will take swift legal action against any employer that fails to pay employees their timely paycheques or retaliates against them for asking to be paid.”
The case was brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which requires most workers to receive at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, as well as overtime pay at one-and-a-half times their regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
