Company to give $300,000 in back wages to disabled workers paid less than minimum wage

A Rhode Island company will give $300,000 in back wages to more than 100 disabled workers and staff for failing to pay overtime and the minimum wage.

The agreement announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor follows previous federal investigations and agreements with the state and the city of Providence for allegedly violating the rights of the disabled. The workers were segregated in so-called sheltered workshops such as Training Thru Placement, often for little or no pay.

The department says that it found that between June 2010 and January 2013, North Providence-based Training Thru Placement falsified documents, failed to pay employees for all the hours they worked and other violations.

Training Thru Placement has replaced its management. It did not immediately return a message seeking comment.