U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Georgia Resort Paying $46,922 in Back Wages to 167 Employees

SEA ISLAND, GA – Sea Island Acquisition LLC has paid $46,922 in back wages to 167 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation found the Sea Island, Georgia-based employer violated minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD investigators determined Sea Island Acquisition LLC - which operates the resort as Sea Island Co. - failed to pay employees in the housekeeping department for all the hours they worked after supervisors altered their time cards, resulting in minimum wage and overtime violations when the employees worked more than 40 hours per workweek. WHD also found the resort incorrectly classified an accounting employee as exempt, paying a flat salary without regard to the number of hours the employee worked. Overtime violations resulted when this employee worked more than 40 hours per week and the firm paid no overtime. The employer also failed to maintain proof of age for 240 minor employees, resulting in recordkeeping violations.

"Even well-intentioned employers may find themselves in violation of the law if they fail to train their managers and ensure that they operate the employers' business in compliance," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Eric Williams, in Atlanta. "The U.S. Department of Labor remains committed to helping all employers understand their responsibilities and to comply with the law, and to ensuring that employees receive the wages they have rightfully earned."

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/whd.

Employees who believe they may be owed back wages should visit the Workers Owed Wages website.