A federal court ordered Green Maintenance Services Inc., a Chicago-area sanitation company and its owner Jan Jarosz to pay US$60,084. The fine represents $29,083 in back wages and an equal amount in damages and interest to 10 current and former employees.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found the Chicago-based sanitation company and Jarosz violated provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) when they failed to pay employees overtime at time and one-half their average hourly rate for hours worked over 40 in a week from at least April 7, 2021, through April 6, 2023. Investigators also noted one employee did not receive a final paycheck. 

The consent judgment restrains the sanitation company and Jarosz from future violations of the FLSA. Additionally, Green Maintenance Services agreed to classify sanitation workers as employees and not independent contractors. The Wage and Hour Division  found the company misclassified two of its sanitation workers as independent contractors. The company will pay the back wages in three monthly installments. 

For more than 85 years, federal law has required that employees receive time and one-half their hourly rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a week.

International Cleaning Week, the week-long event hosted by ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, will be held March 23-29.

For five years, ISSA has hosted this celebration to introduce innovative new resources to empower cleaning-industry professionals globally. This year, ISSA will expand engagement opportunities by showcasing the cleaning industry’s critical role in protecting public health and boosting economic impact.

International Cleaning Week 2025 offers multiple new engagement pathways, including:

• Spotless Spaces Competition – This exclusive ISSA-member benefit allows cleaning and facilities teams to showcase their exceptional environments on a global stage. Members can nominate their spaces by Feb. 14 to highlight their critical work in maintaining clean, safe, and healthy facilities.
• Comprehensive Partnership Toolkit – This expanded resource features branded graphics, pre-written social media content, and e-newsletter templates to help organizations maximize their International Cleaning Week participation.

“International Cleaning Week 2025 represents a transformative moment for our industry,” said John Barrett, ISSA Executive Director. “The new Spotless Spaces Competition, enhanced partnership toolkit, and comprehensive programming provide significant opportunities for our industry to demonstrate its value and impact.”

On Feb. 5, ISSA will host a free, one-hour webinar outlining the new resources and strategies for members to leverage International Cleaning Week. Click here to register.

“We are especially grateful to our International Cleaning Week supporting sponsors—Tork, an Essity Brand, and BradyPLUS—for their critical partnership in elevating our industry’s profile,” said John Nothdurft, ISSA Director of Government Affairs. “As our supporting sponsors for International Cleaning Week and presenting and supporting sponsors, respectively, for the 2025 ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit, these organizations demonstrate exceptional commitment to showcasing the value of professional cleaning on a global stage.”

As the culminating celebration of International Cleaning Week, ISSA will host the Clean Advocacy Summit on March 31-April 1 in Washington, D.C. This Capitol Hill fly-in event empowers attendees with advocacy training and direct access to congressional delegations. The summit provides a unique opportunity for industry professionals to engage with policymakers and advance the interests of the cleaning and facility solutions industry.

For more information about International Cleaning Week and to download the partnership toolkit to promote the event, visit issa.com/icw.