US Department of Labor recovers $78K for 34 workers after investigations find overtime violations at three South Carolina auto centers

COLUMBIA, SC – Three South Carolina auto centers have paid more than $78,000 to 34 workers, recovered by the U.S. Department of Labor after its investigators found the employers failed to pay overtime in violation of federal law. 

An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division at Graydon Tire & Auto of Greer Inc. – operating as Graydon Tire & Auto – determined the employer failed to pay employees overtime when they worked over 40 hours in a week, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. That automotive care and tire sales company paid $34,399 in back wages to 19 employees.  

The division also found that Tyler Tire Inc. – operating as Tyler’s Tire & Auto Center – failed to pay their employees overtime at two Aiken locations. Additionally, the employer neglected to include workers’ commission payments in the calculation of overtime, paying the workers less than legally required. Tyler’s Tire paid $44,094 in back wages to 15 workers at both locations.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring all workers get every dollar they earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “Several recent investigations have found violations in the auto care industry and we encourage employers to contact the Wage and Hour Division with questions to ensure they are in legal compliance. The alternative, paying back wages after the fact, can be a costly lesson.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the division, contact the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the division. The division’s Essential Workers, Essential Protections website provides helpful information on critical worker protections regarding wages and hours worked and job-protected leave during the coronavirus pandemic.