US Department of Labor recovers $100K in back wages from truck stop operator who denied overtime pay to 15 Jersey City gas station attendants

Employer name:       Petroline Inc., operator of Putnam Truck Stop                                                                                                                                                                           565 Tonnele Ave., Jersey City, New Jersey 07307

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined that the employer failed to pay an overtime premium to gas station attendants for hours worked over 40 in a work week, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Back wages recovered: $100,811

Workers affected: 15 employees

Quote: “Employers must understand that paying workers a fixed salary does not automatically excuse them from paying overtime. Unless a specific exemption applies, even workers paid on a salary basis must be paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours in a week,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Paula Ruffin in Mountainside, New Jersey. “The Wage and Hour Division offers numerous tools to help employers learn about their responsibilities and how to comply with the law. We encourage employers to reach out to us for assistance.”

For more information about the FLSA and other laws the division enforces, contact its 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. Workers can call the Wage and Hour Division confidentially with questions or concerns – regardless of where they are from – and the department can speak with callers in more than 200 languages. Help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android and iOS Timesheet App for free, available in English and Spanish.