The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered over $153,000 in back wages and damages from a South Carolina convenience store that failed to pay its workers overtime rates as required by law. The investigation revealed that Samer Express LLC, a West Columbia gas station and convenience retailer, paid 29 employees straight time for all hours worked without considering the overtime premium of time and one-half employees’ hourly rates for hours exceeding 40 in a workweek. This practice was found to be in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring workers get every dollar they earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “Failing to pay the proper rate for all of the hours employees work is a violation employers can and must avoid. We encourage employers with questions to reach out to us for compliance assistance, and for help understanding their obligations to their employees.”
Samer Express LLC is a convenience store offering gasoline and food to consumers. The establishment was incorporated in South Carolina in January 2017.
For further information or inquiries, both employers and workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division confidentially at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. The department is equipped to communicate with callers in more than 200 languages. Additional resources about the Wage and Hour Division, including a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act wage laws overtime requirements, are available online. There's also an Android and iOS timesheet app provided by the department free of charge which can help track hours worked and pay.
