U.S. Department of Labor Enforcement Initiative Results in New Jersey Gas Station Owners Paying $2,088,572 in Back Wages, Damages and Penalties

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – An education and enforcement initiative conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has recovered $2,079,596 in back wages and liquidated damages for 87 attendants working at 25 southern New Jersey gas stations since January 2017. This payment resolves violations found during a series of investigations by the WHD.

WHD investigators found that the gas station owners violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by failing to pay attendants the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, and failing to pay overtime wages to employees when they worked more than 40 hours in a week. Additionally, the owners failed to maintain accurate time and payroll records, as required by law. WHD also assessed one owner of six gas stations a civil money penalty of $8,976 for willful violations.

“The Wage and Hour Division works to ensure that employees receive the wages they have rightfully earned,” said the Charlene Rachor, WHD’s Southern New Jersey District Office Director. “The Department of Labor will continue to monitor New Jersey’s gas station industry for compliance, and we encourage all employers to reach out to us for guidance. We offer many resources to provide employers the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with the law.”

New Jersey is the only U.S. state that bars motorists from pumping their own gas. Gas stations in New Jersey employ full-service gas station attendants to operate gas pumps and provide related customer services. The attendants who received back wages and damages were employed at the following gas stations:

• Citgo, 469 S. Lenola Road in Moorestown;
• Citgo, 400 NJ-38 in Maple Shade;
• Citgo, 2006 Mount Holly Road in Burlington;
• Citgo, 1510 NJ-38 in Cherry Hill;
• Citgo, 102 Washington Crossing Road in Pennington;
• Citgo - Pitman, 690 Delsea Drive in Pitman;
• Gasco Yardville – 4364 S. Broad St. in Trenton;
• Gasco Greenwood – 1761 Greenwood Ave. in Trenton;
• Gasco Tri Star – 1685 Nottingham Way in Trenton;
• Gasco Chambers – 1140 Chambers St. in Trenton;
• Gasco West Creek – 439 Route 9 in West Creek;
• Gasco Lambertville – 32 S. Franklin St. in Lambertville;
• Gasco Southampton – 2344 Route 206 in Vincentown;
• Gasco Barnegat – 282 Route 72 in Barnegat;
• Gasco Morrisville – 999 West Trenton Ave. in Morrisville, PA;
• Lukoil, 2225 Admiral Wilson Blvd. in Merchantville;
• USA Gas, 206 Hanover St. in Pemberton;
• USA Gas, 106 W. Main St. in Maple Shade;
• USA Gas, 402 Landis Ave. in Vineland;
• USA Gas, 3970 N. Delsea Drive in Newfield;
• USA Gas, 47 Chestnut St. in Elmer;
• USA Gas - Mt. Holly – 2523 Route 206 in Mt. Holly;
• Valero, 554 River Road in Fair Haven;
• Valero, 65 N. Blackhorse Pike in Bellmawr; and
• Xtra Power Gas, 1 E Evesham Road in Voorhees.

The Wage and Hour Division is committed to providing employers with the tools they need to assist them in fulfilling their obligation to understand and comply with the variety of laws the Division enforces. Materials are available in a variety of languages. The Division offers useful resources ranging from an interactive E-laws advisor to a complete library of free, downloadable workplace posters. In addition, the Division’s Community Outreach and Resource Planning Specialists conduct ongoing outreach activities to educate stakeholders, including employers, employees, business and labor groups, and professional associations, among others, with accessible, easy-to-understand information about their rights and responsibilities.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Division, contact its toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at http://www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the Division.