The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports its Wage and Hour Division has recovered more than $10,000 in overtime wages for 23 workers at three Kentucky stores.
Investigators with the department determined convenience-store operators Doloma Corp. and Parth Corp. violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, DOL announced Feb. 17, by paying workers regular hourly wages, in cash, for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek, instead of the required time-and-a-half. The DOL reports $10,618 was recovered for the workers.
Doloma Corp. also was ordered to pay $555 in back wages after wrongly denying emergency paid sick leave to a worker who quarantined after contracting coronavirus, the DOL states, which is a violation of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Dolomoth Corp. was also fined an additional $16,703 civil money penalty for "its willful violations," according to the announcement.
"The Wage and Hour Division prioritizes low-wage workers and stands ready to protect them from employers who attempt to shortchange their wages," Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Richard Blaylock said in the announcement.
"Employers who do so make it difficult for workers to provide for themselves and their families," Blaylock said. "These employers also gain an unfair and illegal business advantage over other industry employers."
Doloma Corp. operates Indian Hills #6 in Arlington, Ky., and Indian Hills #1 in Wickliffe, Ky.; Parth Corp. operates Indian Hills #3 in Kevil, Ky., according to the announcement.
