Hilton Reservations Worldwide Ordered to Pay Back Wages

 Hilton Reservations Worldwide has agreed to pay over $700,000 in back wages to 2,645 employees after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Hilton, operating as Hilton Reservations and Customer Care in Carrollton, Texas, was deemed to have violated certain parts of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) relating to minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping. Hilton Reservations Worldwide supplies reservation services for Hilton. The workers receiving back pay hailed from Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, and Florida.

The investigation revealed that Hilton did not properly pay employees for work that they performed before clocking in for their shifts. The tasks performed by employees without compensation included “booting up a computer, opening programs required to assist customers, and reading pertinent e-mails.” Because of this, employees did not receive the FLSA mandated minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for this time. In addition, because this time worked was not counted in each employee’s weekly hour tally, employees were wrongly withheld overtime pay they should have received. Lastly, Hilton also failed to keep detailed time and pay records for employees, according to the Department of Labor.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is federal legislation that establishes minimum standards for overtime pay, minimum wage, recordkeeping, and youth employment. The FLSA requires employers to pay non-exempt employees at least the federal minimum wage (currently $7.25/hr) and overtime pay of one-and-one-half times the regular rate of pay for every hour worked over 40 in a single workweek. For nonagricultural operations, it restricts the hours that children under the age of 16 can work and forbids the employment of children under the age of 18 in certain jobs deemed too dangerous. For agricultural operations, it prohibits the employment of children under the age of 16 during school hours and in some hobs deemed too dangerous. Employers must also display an informational poster outlining the requirements of the FLSA, as well as keep detailed employee time and pay records.

If you have reason to believe that you or a loved one may have been wrongly withheld minimum wage, overtime, or that your employer has violated the FLSA in any other manner, contact an experienced FLSA attorney. If you were indeed wronged by your employer, you may be eligible to receive back pay and compensation for underpayment or unpaid overtime.