The DoubleTree Hotel in Richardson, Texas, a neighborhood north of Dallas, was recently investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and has agreed to pay 112 staff members back wages totaling $102,592 for Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. According to the WHD, the hotel was allegedly committing a number of time and attendance violations, such as:

- Not paying employees for "off-the-clock" work performed before and after scheduled shifts
- Subtracting time for meal and rest breaks even if employees didn't use them
- Misclassifying employees under exemptions for which they didn't qualify
- Paying straight time for employee attendance that exceeded 40 hours in a week
- Failing to keep accurate records of hours worked
- Not including all remuneration in overtime pay calculations

"People often stay at hotels like the DoubleTree to enjoy great cuisine, hospitality and luxury services, and yet we find that many low-wage workers employed in such hotels are exposed to unjust treatment and wage violations," said Cynthia Watson, the Wage and Hour Division Southwest regional administrator.

Employers in the hotel and motel industry can avoid costly litigation by keeping payroll practices in compliance with the FLSA. To do so, they can use a timeclock, handwritten records or another timekeeping system that accurately tracks employee work time. 

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