Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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HIGHLAND LAKES, N.J. -- Singh Brothers Petroleum will pay $29,458 in back wages to six employees after a U.S. Department of Labor investigation found overtime violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The Highland Lakes-based company operates a chain of four gas stations located in Highland Lakes, as well as Vernon and Hewitt, N.J.

The investigation, conducted by the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that from January 2006 to January 2008, the employees were paid straight time for all hours worked, including those over 40 in a workweek. The company also failed to maintain the proper records required by the law.

“We are working diligently to make sure that workers, especially those making low wages, receive the proper pay for all of the hours they work,” says Joe Petrecca, district director of the Wage and Hour Division’s Northern New Jersey District Office. “It’s important that employers know and understand the law so that they can be in compliance.”

After the Wage and Hour Division explained the law’s requirements, the company agreed to pay the affected employees and comply with the law in the future. This action was part of a 2008 enforcement initiative involving independent gas stations in Northern New Jersey, which in 2007 resulted in a total of $279,493 being found due to 195 employees.

The FLSA requires that covered, nonexempt employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $5.85 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates of pay for hours worked beyond 40 per week. The minimum wage will increase to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. Under the law, employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

For more information about the FLSA, call the Wage and Hour Division’s Northern New Jersey District Office at 973-645-2279 or the Department of Labor’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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