Beaver County Gas Station Ordered To Pay $281K In Back Wages For Wage, Overtime Violations
By: Shelley Bortz/em>
MONACA, Pa. (KDKA) -- A gas station in Beaver County has been ordered by a federal court to pay nearly $300,000 in back wages to two employees after being found to have violated wage and overtime laws.
The Department of Labor said Monday that the ruling comes following an investigation into the Monaca Sunoco located along Old Brodhead Road.
Investigators found the owners allegedly failed to pay minimum wage and did not pay overtime rates to a husband and wife who lived and worked at the store.
Investigators say the woman often worked 70 hours per week without any pay, while the man worked unpaid hours after his normal shift ended.
"It went on for several years. We have a statute of limitations for willful violations, so that was as far back as we could go," said Dan Doherty with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division.
In addition to $281,000 in back wages and damages, the employer was ordered to pay a $1,762 civil penalty.
"It's not just the money that you owe. It's the money you owe plus the liquidated damage for what they lost because they didn't receive their money. And then when the violations are willful as in this case, we also have the ability to issue a civil money penalty and fine the employer further and that's what we did," said Doherty.
KDKA reached out to the owners for comment but was unable to reach them.
