Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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HOUSTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that Five Star Valet Inc. of Houston has agreed to pay 53 current and former valet service workers $45,505 in back wages due to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

“All workers are entitled to receive their full wages, including any overtime wages earned,” said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the department’s Wage and Hour Division in Dallas. “In this case, the company not only failed to pay them the required overtime but did not keep accurate payroll records.”

An investigation by the Wage and Hour Division Houston district office, covering the period Jan. 1, 2004 to Feb.15, 2005, determined that Five Star Valet failed to pay employees the federal minimum wage and time-and-one-half for hours worked in excess of 40 per workweek. The company also failed to maintain accurate time and payroll records as required by the FLSA.

Five Star Valet, a provider of valet service to several residential towers and Houston restaurants, cooperated in the investigation and has agreed to future compliance.

The Wage and Hour Division recovered nearly $200 million in back wages in fiscal year 2004 for more than 288,000 workers. Average days to resolve a complaint decreased in fiscal 2004 from 108 to 92 days.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Houston district office at (713) 339-5500 or the Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.