Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tire Centers LLC has paid over $246,000 in back overtime wages to 568 employees after the U.S. Department of Labor determined that the Duncan, S.C.-based company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

“The Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have earned,” said Alfred B. Robinson, acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. “In this case, $246,475 was recovered in back overtime wages for these hourly workers.”

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that, between November 2002 and January 2005, the company failed to include commissions when calculating overtime wages for service technicians employed at tire service facilities in 38 states.

The company, which provides tire re-treading and commercial truck tire services, has cooperated with Wage and Hour investigators and has agreed to future compliance with provisions of the FLSA.

The FLSA requires that covered workers be paid at least the federal minimum wage. It also requires that workers are paid one-and-one half times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over 40 in a single work week. In most circumstances, bonuses and commissions must be included with other pay to determine the rate of pay for purposes of calculating overtime. Employers must also maintain accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment.

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

For more information about the FLSA, call the department’s toll-free help line at 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243); visit the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov; or contact the Columbia Wage and Hour Division office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 Assembly St., Room 1072; phone: (803) 765-5981.

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