CINCINNATI — An East Side Cincinnati hotel recently agreed to pay more than $21,000 to settle an overtime wage lawsuit with employees who claim the hotel’s owner made them work up to 70 hours a week without overtime payments.
Six workers in the lawsuit will each receive their share of the $21,708 settlement with the operator of the local Days Inn.
The federal overtime wage case began with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division which uncovered widespread violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Some of the employees involved in the case are Russian speakers and relied on the work of the department’s agents to communicate their experience.
According to investigators, some clerks were forced to work over 70 hours a week — almost twice as many as a traditional work week, without any overtime payments.
Additionally, housekeeping staff were paid for every room they serviced as opposed to on an hourly basis, which also resulted in unpaid overtime wages for weeks they spent more than 40 hours on the job.
Members of the Department of Labor noted these types of businesses practices often happen in the hotel industry where many are low wage earners where language barriers and fear of retaliation may inhibit them from coming forward with information about these injustices. In fact, in 2005 the same company was forced to pay an overtime wage settlement of several thousand dollars to settle complaints by three other employees.
It is almost every employee’s right under the FLSA to be paid overtime (time and a half) for every hour he or she works over 40 hours in a week.
There are certain employees who are exempt from overtime payments but the law narrowly defines these classifications and most hourly employees will not qualify.
Under the FLSA and state laws, employees may be entitled to years of back pay, compensatory damages, and attorney’s fees. Overtime wage laws are an important tool ordinary people can use to stand up for their legal rights and get the compensation they deserve.
Unpaid Overtime Lawsuits
You should call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that you and and other employees have a valid claim under FLSA and believe that your wage rights are being violated. Our top-rated team of wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action.
We will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. There are strict time limitations for filing, so it is important that you call our experienced attorneys today.