U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Mississippi Convenience Store Paying $29,726 in Back Wages to 15 Employees

WEST POINT, MS – West Point Fast Break Inc. – a gas station and convenience store based in West Point, Mississippi – will pay $29,726 in back wages to 15 employees after a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation found the employer violated minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD determined West Point Fast Break Inc. paid employees for only their first 40 hours worked in a workweek, resulting in minimum wage violations when the employees' average hourly wages fell below the federal minimum wage after working unrecorded and unpaid hours. The employer also failed to pay required overtime when employees worked more than 40 hours per week. The investigation also found West Point paid some employees' wages in cash, without records, and discarded their time cards after payroll was complete. The FLSA requires employers to maintain payroll records for at least two years.  

"The U.S. Department of Labor will rigorously enforce the law, and will investigate employers that deny employees their wages by blatantly failing to pay for all the hours that they work," said Wage and Hour District Director Audrey Hall, in Jackson, Mississippi. "Employers must understand their responsibilities and comply with the law. The Wage and Hour Division provides multiple tools in a variety of formats to educate employers and help them avoid violations like those in this case."

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.