Summary
This United States District Court order grants the plaintiff's motion for entry of default judgment against the defendant, Cosmic Strands, LLC, following its failure to respond to the complaint. The court finds the defendant liable under the Fair Labor Standards Act for unpaid minimum and overtime wages, as well as for breach of contract. After calculating damages, attorneys' fees, and costs based on the plaintiff's submissions, the court awards a total of $15,018.89 plus post-judgment interest.
Topics
Practice areas
Questions Presented
- Whether Ms. Stevens is covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act and entitled to unpaid minimum wage and overtime.
- Whether liquidated damages are available under the FLSA.
- Whether plaintiff is entitled to attorneys' fees and costs in an FLSA action.
- Whether post‑judgment interest is mandatory.
Holdings
- Plaintiff is covered by the FLSA and is entitled to unpaid minimum wage and overtime compensation.
- Plaintiff is entitled to liquidated damages equal to the amount of unpaid minimum wages and overtime compensation.
- Plaintiff is entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees of $6,895.00 and costs of $726.25.
- Plaintiff is entitled to post‑judgment interest at the legal rate from the date of final judgment.
Key quotations
“The Court finds that Ms. Stevens is entitled to damages in the amount of $2,469.79 (340.66 hours multiplied by $7.25 per hour) in unpaid minimum wages under 29 U.S.C. § 206.” (at 5)
“Accordingly, Ms. Stevens is entitled to attorneys’ fees in the amount of $6,895.00 (15.7 hours at $350.00 per hour plus 7 hours at $200.00 per hour).” (at 6)
Factual background
Ms. Stevens worked as a proofreader for Cosmic Strands, LLC at $2.00 per page for five months in 2021. She performed 226.347 hours in October and 227.275 hours in December, including overtime, and was never paid for that work. Cosmic Strands earned over $500,000 annually and directed her work from offices in Delaware and India.
Procedural history
Plaintiff filed suit on 10 Oct 2023; Defendant failed to answer; multiple motions for default were filed; Clerk entered default on 13 Sep 2024; Plaintiff moved for default judgment which the court granted on 30 Mar 2025.