Unpaid Wage Cases in Des Moines, Iowa
Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $3.6M in back wages owed to 4,625 workers by Des Moines employers, in 249 cases. Unpaid overtime accounts for 65% of it. The industry with the most back wages is full-service restaurants.
What workers weren't paid
43 cases involved child labor violations, covering 106 minors.
Industries
Cases with back wages by year
Largest back-wage cases
Principal Financial Group 711 High Street
$237K in back wages to 53 workers
All Other Financial Investment Activities · period investigated Nov 2002–Nov 2004
Nuckolls Concrete Services, Inc. 5550 NE 22nd Street, Suite 100
$230K in back wages to 128 workers
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction · period investigated Jul 2004–May 2006
Nationwide Insurance 1100 Locust
$210K in back wages to 39 workers
Insurance Agencies and Brokerages · period investigated Jan 2018–Aug 2018
Islas Del Pacifico 1434 Des Moines Street
$204K in back wages to 15 workers
Full-Service Restaurants · period investigated Jan 2016–Dec 2017
Waste Connections of Iowa Inc. 4705 NE 22nd St.
$181K in back wages to 52 workers
Waste Collection · period investigated Oct 2017–Oct 2019 · repeat violator: R
Eds 3600 Army Post Road
$107K in back wages to 587 workers
Other Computer Related Services · period investigated Apr 2005–Apr 2007
Luther Park Community 1555 Hull Ave
$102K in back wages to 109 workers · $2,133 in penalties · 1 child labor violation
Continuing Care Retirement Communities · period investigated Feb 2021–Feb 2023
Adept Patriot Services 3600 30th ST (Project Site)
$99,433 in back wages to 13 workers
Other Telecommunications · period investigated Nov 2021–Nov 2022
Old West Mexican Restaurant 4138 Fleur Drive
$89,237 in back wages to 32 workers
Full-Service Restaurants · period investigated Nov 2016–Oct 2018
Healthways 400 Locust St, #620
$83,498 in back wages to 58 workers
Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers · period investigated Nov 2007–Jun 2009
Most recent cases
Paws & Pints period ending Feb 2026
$2,596 in back wages to 13 workers · $5,612 in penalties · 1 child labor violation · Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
Southeast Constructors, Inc period ending Feb 2026
$1,158 in back wages to 4 workers · Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
Akebono Japanese Restaurant period ending Sep 2025
$2,305 in back wages to 1 worker · Full-Service Restaurants
Basic Bird period ending Aug 2025
$13,244 in back wages to 10 workers · $8,353 in penalties · 2 child labor violations · Limited-Service Restaurants
At Your Service period ending Aug 2025
$2,715 in back wages to 2 workers · All Other Support Activities for Transportation
Mark Scott (Commercial Construction Products) period ending Jun 2025
1 violation, no back wages · Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
Adams Door Company period ending Jun 2025
1 violation, no back wages · Other Building Finishing Contractors
Angry Goldfish Pub & Eatery period ending May 2025
$94 in back wages to 1 worker · Full-Service Restaurants
Ramsey Village period ending Apr 2025
$2,636 in back wages to 14 workers · Nursing Care Facilities
Nacho Tequilas period ending Dec 2024
$171 in back wages to 1 worker · Full-Service Restaurants
JR Revar Steel period ending Nov 2024
$70,768 in back wages to 19 workers · Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors
Dee Zee period ending Sep 2024
1 violation, no back wages · Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores
Liberty's period ending Aug 2024
$32,540 in back wages to 15 workers · $2,055 in penalties · Full-Service Restaurants
Coa Cantina period ending Aug 2024
$11,676 in back wages to 20 workers · Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
Smokey D's BBQ period ending Jul 2024
$42,198 in penalties · 11 child labor violations · Limited-Service Restaurants
GoodSons period ending Feb 2024
1 violation, no back wages · Full-Service Restaurants
Waveland Cafe period ending Feb 2024
1 violation, no back wages · Full-Service Restaurants
Up-Down Des Moines period ending Jan 2024
$30,000 in back wages to 0 workers · Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
Valley View Village period ending Dec 2023
$3,048 in back wages to 2 workers · $28,132 in penalties · 6 child labor violations · Nursing Care Facilities
Bell Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning period ending Oct 2023
$8,918 in back wages to 27 workers · Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors
If you weren't paid what you're owed
Federal law requires at least the minimum wage and time-and-a-half for hours over 40 a week for most hourly workers, and many states set higher minimums. You can file a free, confidential complaint with the Wage and Hour Division or your state labor department, and you can also sue to recover unpaid wages, often with an equal amount in damages and your attorney fees. Deadlines are generally two to three years under federal law.
Labor and employment lawyers in Des Moines
Lawbamba lists 6 labor and employment lawyers with an office in Des Moines, Iowa, the practice area that deals with the wage theft cases on this page. These 4 come first in that listing (how the order is set).
Matched by practice area and office location only. These lawyers are not connected to the records on this page and have not reviewed or endorsed it.
Owed wages by a Des Moines employer?
Compare employment lawyers in Des MoinesOther Iowa cities
- West Des Moines
$2M · 1,993 workers - Cedar Rapids
$1.5M · 1,781 workers - Dubuque
$1.3M · 904 workers - Clive
$1.1M · 379 workers - Davenport
$1M · 1,605 workers - Sioux City
$885K · 959 workers - Urbandale
$865K · 748 workers - Clinton
$782K · 294 workers
Source: the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division enforcement data (every concluded compliance action since fiscal year 2005), from the DOL Open Data Portal, loaded November 9, 2026. “Back wages” is the amount employers agreed to pay workers after an investigation found they were underpaid; dates are the end of the period the investigation covered. Employer names and addresses are as DOL publishes them. Federal cases only: state labor departments and private lawsuits recover more that isn't counted here.
Lawbamba is not affiliated with the Department of Labor, and this page is general information, not legal advice.