In a case handled by Pechman Law Group, Hillside Hotel in Jamaica, Queens, has paid $30,000 to a former housekeeping employee, to resolve a federal court lawsuit alleging violations of minimum wage and overtime laws, and retaliation during the pandemic.
The housekeeper began working at Hillside Hotel in 2019. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hillside Hotel began to provide lodging for healthcare workers and volunteers who needed to quarantine away from home and the hotel operated at full capacity. There was only one housekeeper on staff from March to May 2020 and during those months he was required to reside in the hotel and work seven days per week, upwards of 100 hours of work per week, and paid an hourly rate of $15 for up to forty hours per workweek.
The wage theft lawsuit against the hotel alleged that, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the New York Labor Law, the housekeeper was only paid for 40 hours of work per week and did not receive overtime pay at 1.5 times the minimum wage rate. The lawsuit also alleged that the hotel failed to give him spread-of-hours pay, i.e. of an extra hour of pay at the minimum wage when his daily shifts spanned over ten hours and failed to provide him with a wage notice when he was hired and accurate wage statements with his pay.
This case was handled by Laura Rodriguez of Pechman Law Group. If you believe that you have been cheated out of overtime by your employer by your employer, please contact one of our attorneys at 212-583-9500 to schedule a free consultation.
