HONOLULU
(HawaiiNewsNow) - Norwegian Cruise Lines has agreed to pay $526,602 in back
wages to 2,059 employees of the company's Pride of America cruise ship in
Hawaii.
A U.S.
Department of Labor investigation determined that Norwegian Cruise Lines paid
employees straight time for mandatory weekly emergency drills, regardless of
the number of hours they had worked in the week.
Most of
the employees typically worked nearly 60 hours per week and should have
received pay at time and one-half their regular rates for all hours in excess
of 40, including during the emergency drills conducted each Saturday. This
single violation accounted for the largest share of the back wage payments owed
to the employees.
The
investigation also determined that because the employer took large meal and
lodging credits, some employees were paid less than the federal minimum wage of
$7.25 per hour.
Additionally, the employer failed to record
and pay housekeeping staff for time spent cleaning cabins between cruises.
Further, employees often began work prior to their scheduled shifts, yet these
hours of work were neither recorded nor compensated.
"Employees
in many jobs on U.S.-flagged vessels are entitled to the federal minimum wage
and overtime protections under U.S. law," said Terence Trotter, director
of the Wage and Hour Division's Honolulu District Office. "We appreciate
that this employer came into compliance once the issues were identified. We
hope that this case sends a clear message to similar employers about taking
steps to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable federal labor
laws."
Following
the investigation, which covered the period from July 2009 through November
2011, Norwegian Cruise Lines agreed to develop and immediately implement a
compliance plan to remedy its pay practices.
Norwegian
Cruise Lines employs more than 900 workers on the Pride of America at any given
time. The Pride of America is the only U.S. flagship in the Miami, Fla.-based
company's fleet. The vessel's ports of call are Honolulu, Maui, Hilo, Kona and
Kauai, all in Hawaii.
Copyright
2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
NCL agrees to pay more than $526,000 in back wages to more than 2,000 cruise workers in Hawaii
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and KHNL, a Raycom Media Station. 
