Some sheriff’s employees in a central Mississippi county are being paid back wages because of overtime violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday that the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department has paid $51,389 in back wages to 43 employees.

The federal agency’s Wage and Hour Division says its investigators found that the sheriff’s department incorrectly failed to pay overtime. In some cases, employees worked more than 40 hours during a week but were refused overtime because they took time off during the pay period.

Investigators also found Simpson County committed additional overtime violations when it inaccurately noted the starting and ending dates of the pay period.

District Director Audrey Hall says the case is a reminder that governments, like private businesses, are subject to federal labor laws.