Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
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York, Pa., golf resort agrees to pay more than $60,000 in back wages and fines following Labor Department investigation
YORK, Pa. -- Heritage Hills Association, doing business as Heritage Hills Golf Resort and Conference Center in York, has agreed to pay $55,353 in back wages to 219 workers following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division that disclosed significant violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage, overtime, record-keeping and child labor provisions.
“Employers subject to the FLSA must ensure that those they employ are fully compensated for all hours of their work, in compliance with federal minimum wage and overtime pay requirements,” said Alfonso J. Gristina, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s Wilkes Barre District Office. “And when employing minors, businesses are legally and ethically obligated to abide by child labor standards, and ensure young workers are protected on the job.”
The investigation found that the company violated the FLSA by failing to pay employees at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour; failing to pay workers for all hours worked; failing to maintain accurate records of hours worked for salaried employees; and paying employees “straight time” wages, rather than one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for all hours exceeding 40 per week.
The company also violated the child labor provisions of the FLSA by requiring five minors to work in excess of the time and work hour limitations established for 14- and 15-year-old employees. For those violations, the company will pay $4,950 in civil money penalties to the Labor Department.
The FLSA requires that covered employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage as well as one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for hours worked over 40 per week. Additionally, the law requires that accurate records of employees’ wages, hours of work and other conditions of employment be maintained. The current federal minimum wage for covered, nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.
The FLSA’s child labor provisions restrict the number of hours individuals under 16 years old are allowed to work and the times during which they can be employed. Fourteen- and 15-year-olds may not work more than three hours on school days, eight hours on nonschool days, 18 hours in school weeks or 40 hours during nonschool weeks. They may work during nonschool hours, but no later than 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. from June 1 until Labor Day.
For more information about the FLSA’s requirements, call the Wage and Hour Division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or visit http://www.dol.gov/whd. The division’s Wilkes Barre office can be reached at 570-826-6316.
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