Unpaid Wage Cases in Nashville, Tennessee
Since 2005 the U.S. Department of Labor has found $15.3M in back wages owed to 14,327 workers by Nashville employers, in 546 cases. Unpaid overtime accounts for 54% of it. The industry with the most back wages is full-service restaurants.
What workers weren't paid
33 cases involved child labor violations, covering 73 minors.
Industries
Cases with back wages by year
Largest back-wage cases
Apex Systems - Nashville One Dell Parkway
$920K in back wages to 133 workers
Employment Placement Agencies · period investigated Nov 2009–Oct 2011
Vanderbilt Police Department 2800 Vanderbilt Place
$846K in back wages to 106 workers
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools · period investigated Mar 2008–Jun 2010
Robinson Aviation 7273 Centennial Place, Suite 100
$600K in back wages to 420 workers
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation · period investigated Jun 2021–Jun 2023
Homeland Security Corporation 102 Woodmont Boulevard, Suite 800
$574K in back wages to 146 workers
Security Systems Services · period investigated May 2003–Sep 2009
Western Express 7135 Centennial Place
$476K in back wages to 2,659 workers
General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload · period investigated Jun 2018–Jun 2020
Prisoner Transportation Services (PTS) of Ame P.O. Box 121591
$446K in back wages to 204 workers
Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation · period investigated Apr 2013–Apr 2014
Corrections Corporation of America 10 Burton Hills Boulevard
$362K in back wages to 435 workers
Correctional Institutions · period investigated Nov 1998–Jan 2004
Dell Federal Systems L.P.-Nashville 1 Dell Pkwy
$328K in back wages to 74 workers
Electronic Computer Manufacturing · period investigated Nov 2009–Oct 2011
TransCor America 646 Melrose Ave.
$322K in back wages to 14 workers
All Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation · period investigated Feb 2011–Nov 2013
Health Spring 44 Vantage Way, Suite 300
$306K in back wages to 135 workers
Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices · period investigated Jul 2008–Sep 2010
Most recent cases
Sportsman's Grille period ending May 2026
$4,364 in back wages to 1 worker · Full-Service Restaurants
DPR Construction, A general Partnership period ending May 2026
3 violations, no back wages · Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
Kag period ending Feb 2026
2 violations, no back wages · Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance
Staff Zone period ending Dec 2025
$35,598 in back wages to 8 workers · Employment Placement Agencies
Nashville Chauffeur period ending Dec 2025
1 violation, no back wages · Limousine Service
Marriott Hotel period ending Aug 2025
$53,192 in back wages to 1 worker · Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels
United Parcel Service (UPS) period ending Aug 2025
$29,540 in back wages to 1 worker · Other Warehousing and Storage
Workwear Outfitters period ending Jun 2025
1 violation, no back wages · Men's and Boys' Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors
Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee period ending May 2025
$76,538 in back wages to 1 worker · Used Merchandise Retailers
Folk Restaurant period ending Jan 2025
$16,803 in back wages to 51 workers · Full-Service Restaurants
Chipotle Mexican Grill period ending Oct 2024
1 violation, no back wages · Limited-Service Restaurants
DeLuca period ending Sep 2024
$705 in back wages to 1 worker · Full-Service Restaurants
State of Tennessee period ending Sep 2024
$37,425 in back wages to 1 worker · Human Rights Organizations
Rodeway Inn period ending Sep 2024
$3,701 in back wages to 4 workers · Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels
GUBMK Constructors period ending Aug 2024
$183K in back wages to 378 workers · Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction
Metro Nashville Public Schools period ending Aug 2024
5 violations, no back wages · Local Elementary and Secondary Schools
Emerald Resource LLC - Louisville period ending Jun 2024
1 violation, no back wages · All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Emerald Resource LLC- Charlotte period ending Jun 2024
1 violation, no back wages · All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Emerald Resource LLC - Asheville period ending Jun 2024
$195 in back wages to 1 worker · All Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Emerald Resource LLC - Wilmington period ending Jun 2024
1 violation, no back wages · All Other Specialty Trade 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.
Owed wages by a Nashville employer?
Compare employment lawyers in NashvilleOther Tennessee cities
- Memphis
$15.7M · 14,954 workers - Clarksville
$9.4M · 1,840 workers - Knoxville
$7.1M · 6,332 workers - Kingsport
$5.1M · 1,710 workers - Chattanooga
$3.2M · 4,121 workers - Murfreesboro
$2.4M · 2,189 workers - Franklin
$1.7M · 2,516 workers - Cleveland
$1.5M · 1,747 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.