When employees are not properly compensated for the time they spend on a job, a serious legal issue can result. Not meeting minimum wage and other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act can cause workers to face significant setbacks, and if the situation is not resolved, legal action may need to be taken. Three workers at a car wash in Texas took action against their employer for such reasons and faced a successful outcome.
The situation took place when workers felt they were not being paid fair wages. Reports indicate that workers were only allowed to clock in while they were performing car washing duties, though they were expected to remain on site for nine hours a day. Because they were only being paid for certain parts of the day, the workers felt that fair labor standards were being violated.
The jury and court system agreed that violations concerning minimum wage and overtime were taking place. The employees should be compensated for their back wages that were not received while on the job; the amount for damages paid will be determined in the near future. The owner of the car wash did not wish to comment on the situation.
Making at least minimum wage is necessary for workers’ time and activities to be compensated fairly. As this case shows, legal action may need to be taken in order to ensure that fair labor standards are being upheld. If workers in Texas feel that standards or their employee rights are being violated, they may wish to look into relevant state laws to determine whether taking action could be beneficial and/or which routes would be best to take.
Source: Brownsville Herald, Former Carwash Plus workers to receive back wages, damages, Ty Johnson, Nov. 15, 2013