The lawsuit, instigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, claimed that the owner of the Georgia-based A OK Walker Autoworks paid former employee Andreas Flaten, his final paycheque of $915 (£720) in greasy pennies. This was allegedly a response to Mr Flaten involving the Department of Labor for his missing wages.

The peculiarity of the payment method has, however, proved costly for Mr Walker and his auto shop. According to a news release on 16 June, Mr Walker is now obligated to pay a hefty sum of $39,934 (£31,415) in back wages and liquidated damages to nine of his employees, including Mr Flaten, The Macon Telegraph reports.

Following an investigation, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that Mr Walker’s auto shop had improperly compensated its workers for overtime, in addition to the act of retaliation against Mr Flaten. As part of a consent judgment issued by a federal judge on 13 June, Mr Flaten is set to receive $8,690 (£6,834) in back wages and liquidated damages.