The US Department of Labor has filed a complaint against some hotels in Georgia. The owners, who allegedly violated federal wage law, retaliated against the workers.
Court: Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Gainesville Division.
Persons Involved: Jankijuhi Inc., doing business as America Best Value Inn; Juhi Janki LLC, doing business as Hofbrau Riverfront Hotel; Jasmine Juhi LLC, doing business as Budgetel Inn; Chhaganbhai Somabai Inc., doing business as Jameson Hotel; and Ashvin Patel, owner.
A Department of Labor investigation identified the following violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act:
-
They paid fixed wages regardless of the number of hours worked, which led to minimum wage violations, when the total received per hour turned out to be less than the federal minimum wage.
-
They paid fixed wages and failed to pay time and a half overtime rate when workers exceeded 40 hours in a workweek.
-
They engaged in discriminatory actions and violated federally protected rights when they retaliated against workers suspected of filing complaints.
In the complaint, the Division has sought an injunction to prohibit the employer from committing further violations of the FLSA.
Quote: “Employers are required to comply with all anti-retaliation laws, including those intended to ensure the protection of workers in relation to wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act” – said Regional Labor Attorney Tremelle Howard in Atlanta.
