South Carolina Merchant to Pay $63,568 in Back Wages and Damages after U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds Overtime Violations

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – Prime Retail Management Group Inc. - operator of two "Beach Bums" locations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - will pay $63,568 in back wages and liquidated damages to 41 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation determined the employer violated overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD investigators found that Prime Retail Management Group Inc. failed to pay employees overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek. Instead, the company paid workers their straight-time rates without regard to the number of hours they worked. Prime Retail Management Group Inc. also failed to maintain accurate time and payroll records, resulting in FLSA recordkeeping violations.

"Employers must pay employees the wages they have legally earned for all the hours they have worked," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel, in Columbia, South Carolina. "Other employers should take this as an opportunity to review their own pay practices to ensure that they are complying with the law. We remain committed to educating employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities so that violations can be avoided, and that employers compete on a level playing field."

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.