Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LITIGATION NEWS, TRENDS—D.C. Attorney General announces settlement with construction company accused of wage law violations, (Dec 12, 2025)

By WK Editorial Staff

The government contractor failed to pay legally required prevailing wages on three publicly funded affordable housing projects and misclassified workers as independent contractors on over a dozen others.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that Christian Siding, a Virginia-based construction company operating in the District of Columbia, will pay $725,000 to settle allegations of wage law violations. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that the company failed to pay legally required prevailing wages on three publicly funded affordable housing projects and misclassified workers as independent contractors on 13 additional projects. Schwalb’s office also alleged that the construction company deprived workers of overtime pay, paid sick leave, and other benefits mandated by law.

Over 200 affected workers. Under the settlement, Christian Siding will pay more than $364,000 in restitution to 229 affected workers and over $360,000 in penalties to D.C. The company must also implement significant reforms to ensure proper worker classification and compliance with wage laws, and it will be subject to two years of monitoring by OAG. Additional penalties will apply for any future violations.

Investigation. An investigation revealed that from 2021 to early 2024, Christian Siding systematically misclassified employees and underpaid workers on taxpayer-funded or subsidized projects, including The Ethel, Terrace Manor, and The Appleton—developments aimed at providing affordable housing and supportive services in D.C. Schwalb emphasized that prevailing wage laws protect workers and taxpayers, and that accountability extends throughout the contracting chain.

“Failing to pay the required prevailing wage cheats both workers and DC taxpayers out of the full financial benefits of publicly-funded projects,” said Attorney General Schwalb. “In DC, legal accountability for prevailing wage violations extends all the way up the contracting chain—if your company or any of its subcontractors are underpaying workers, all of you can be held accountable. This settlement puts money back where it belongs and ensures that all construction firms in DC compete on a level playing field.”

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