Apex, N.C. — An Apex construction company has agreed to pay more than $72,000 in back wages to 195 employees after investigators determined the employer violated federal labor laws.

The Raleigh district office of the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday that PCM Construction Services LLC failed to pay overtime at the required rate of time-and-a-half for employees who worked more 40 hours a week. Instead, investigators said, the employer paid fixed salaries to employees who were supposed to collect overtime.

In addition to the back wages, the company also will pay $36,465 in civil penalties for repeat violations.

“Simply paying an employee a salary does not eliminate the requirement to pay overtime,” Richard Blaylock, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s Raleigh office, said in a statement. “This employer had full knowledge of the law’s requirements, yet chose to pay employees less than they had legally earned. This practice is unacceptable.”

Blaylock said the company was previously ordered to pay more than $93,600 in back wages for 114 employees who were owed overtime pay.