The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has found that Petroline Inc., operator of Putnam Truck Stop in Jersey City, New Jersey, failed to pay overtime wages to gas station attendants.
The investigation found that Petroline Inc. paid its gas station attendants a fixed salary, but did not pay them overtime for hours worked over 40 in a work week.
This is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which requires employers to pay overtime to employees who work more than 40 hours in a work week.
As a result of the investigation, Petroline Inc. has agreed to pay $100,811 in back wages to 15 gas station attendants. The company has also agreed to make sure that it complies with the FLSA in the future.
“Employers must understand that paying workers a fixed salary does not automatically excuse them from paying overtime,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Paula Ruffin in Mountainside, New Jersey. “Unless a specific exemption applies, even workers paid on a salary basis must be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a week.”
The Wage and Hour Division offers numerous tools to help employers learn about their responsibilities and how to comply with the law. Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division toll-free at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) for more information.
Workers with questions about their pay or who believe they may have been cheated out of overtime wages can contact the Wage and Hour Division at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).