An investigation conducted by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Alabama gas station cashiers at two locations were underpaid by their employer.
Kwik Shop Stores Inc. reportedly did not compute correct overtime rates nor pay the full overtime wages due at locations in Wetumpka and Montgomery, according to a June 30 Department of Labor news release.
“Business owners who deny their workers their full wages make it harder for these workers and their families to make ends meet,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Kenneth Stripling in Birmingham, said in the release.
The employer failed to include bonuses when calculating overtime rates of pay and failed to accurately record their hours of work, which is another violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the release reported.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated the median hourly wage for cashiers in the gasoline industry was $11.24 an hour in fiscal 2021. Those employees are usually required to work weekends, holidays and overnight shifts, the release said.
“With job openings remaining at near record levels across the nation, employers are working harder to retain and recruit workers they need to help their businesses succeed,” Stripling added, according to the release. “Those who fulfill their obligation and honor workers’ rights to full wages and benefits will have an advantage over employers who fail to do so.”
