DOL recovers $100K from Jersey City operator who denied overtime pay

Listen to this article

A truck stop in Jersey City was ordered to pay more than $100,000 after authorities say the employer failed to compensate employees for working overtime.

In a June 1 press release, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) said an investigation by its wage and hour division determined that Petroline Inc., which operates the Putnam Truck Stop on Tonnelle Avenue, violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by not paying an overtime premium to 15 gas station attendants who worked more than 40 hours in a work week.

In a statement, Paula Ruffin, North Jersey district director of the wage and hour division office in Mountainside, said, “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.”

She went on to encourage employers to take advantage of the tools the DOL offers to help them learn about compliance.

A representative from Petroline Inc. could not immediately be reached Thursday afternoon.

Related reading

DOL recovers $300K in back wages, damages from Fort Lee restaurant