News Brief
US Department of Labor recovers $77K in back wages, liquidated damages after finding three liquor stores denied workers overtime
Employers: Nyrio Investments Corp., operating as Stateline Liquor & Wine at 1069 Main Street, Southaven, MS 38671
Three Star Investments, operating as Three Star Liquor Store, 3305 South 3rd Street, Memphis, TN 38109
Yala Investments Corp., operating as Spirits Unlimited at 3024 Covington Pike Street 1, Memphis, TN 38218
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found three liquor stores in Mississippi and Tennessee, which share common ownership, paid employees straight-time rates for all hours worked. By doing so, the employer failed to pay the employees a time-and-one-half premium rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, an overtime violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. In addition, the employers did not maintain complete and accurate time and pay records.
Back wages and liquidated damages recovered: The division recovered $38,837 in back wages for 11 workers, and an equal amount in liquidated damages.
Quote: “Employers must pay their employees the wages they have legally earned for all the hours they work,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall in Jackson, Mississippi. “There is no excuse for employers to intentionally deny these hard-working people their lawfully earned wages.”
Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 866-4-US-WAGE. Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including its search tool to learn if you are owed back wages collected by the division. Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions – regardless of their immigration status – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free, which is available in Spanish and English.
