Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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CHICAGO --

The U.S. District Court has entered a consent judgment requiring Bloomington-based Freedom Oil Co. to pay back wages and penalties totaling $225,000 to 68 employees and the U.S. Labor Department following an investigation that found violations of the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The investigation by the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that between September 2004 and October 2005, Freedom Oil Co. did not pay time and one-half pay for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek, as required by the overtime provisions of the FLSA.

The U. S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois ordered Freedom Oil Co. to pay the 68 workers $156,542 for overtime violations, as well as $54,789 in liquidated damages. Freedom Oil Co. was also ordered to pay $13,668 in penalties to the Department of Labor.

“The Labor Department is committed to ensuring that workers are paid all the wages due them under the law,” said Enrique Rodriguez, district director for the Wage and Hour Division in St. Louis.

The workers due back wages were managers working in retail gas stations and convenience stores that Freedom Oil Co. operates in 43 locations throughout Illinois.

The FLSA requires payment of the federal minimum wage and of overtime at time and one-half an employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 per week, unless otherwise exempt. The FLSA also contains record keeping requirements and youth employment standards.

For more information, call the U.S. Department of Labor’s toll-free help line at 1 (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov. Information about the current exemption for while-collar executive, administrative and professional employees can be found on the Internet at www.dol.gov/fairpay.

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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.