Commonly asked overtime pay law questions about Best Western:
- What is Best Western?
- Who Does Best Western Employ?
- Where is Best Western Located?
- Best Western Overtime Pay Lawsuit News
- What are the Laws for Best Western Employee Overtime Pay?
- Is a Best Western Employee Entitled to Overtime Pay?
- Does Best Western Have to Pay Overtime Wages to its Employees?
- Has Best Western Been Involved in Overtime Pay Lawsuits?
- Best Western Overtime Pay Lawyer Review
What is Best Western?
Best Western is a hotel chain that operates the Best Western hotel brand. Best Western operates several different hotels including: Best Western and Best Western Plus.
The company was founded in California in 1946, and is now headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. They currently operate over 4,200 hotels in over 110 countries throughout the world, with over half being located within North America.
Who Does Best Western Employ?
Best Western employs over 1,250 people. Our experienced overtime pay lawyers handle cases for all Best Western employees, including the following:
- Customer service representatives
- Hotel managers
- Assistant managers
- Chefs
- Maintenance workers
- Housekeepers
- Bartenders
- Cooks
- Dishwashers
- Valet drivers
Where is Best Western Located?
Best Western’s corporate headquarters is located in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has expanded to have locations throughout the United States and across the world. Some of the U.S. locations include:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Austin, Texas
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Chicago, Illinois
- Columbus, Ohio
- Dallas, Texas
- Detroit, Michigan
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Nashville, Tennessee
- New York, New York
- Palo Alto, California
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- San Francisco, California
- Tampa, Florida
- Washington D.C.
Best Western Overtime Pay Lawsuit News
What are the Laws for Best Western Employee Overtime Pay?
Under the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA), many Best Western employees are considered non-exempt and therefore entitled to overtime pay.
If an employee is non-exempt under the FLSA, the law requires that they are paid overtime wages of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for every hour past 40 in one week.
The FLSA has several exemptions, however, that would preclude employees from receiving overtime pay. For example, employees with “adminstrative” or “professional” roles may fall under these exemptions.
It is important to note that exemption is not determined solely based on job title. Rather, job description, job duties, rate of pay, and hours worked are used to determine if an employee should receive overtime pay.
On top of the FLSA, some states have their own overtime pay laws. These laws may complement or contradict the FLSA, so it is important to consult an experienced attorney who is familiar with all the applicable overtime pay laws.
Is a Best Western Employee Entitled to Overtime Pay?
Best Western employees are often required to work long shifts, as well as additional time before and after their scheduled shift. In addition to working extra hours, many hotel employees are “shorted” on their break and rest times by being required to be “on call” and accessible at all times. Some hotels require employees to have hand held radios or cell phones so that they can be contacted when a customer makes a request or if management needs something done.
As a result, many Best Western employees end up working more than 40 hours per week, and are therefore entitled to overtime pay.
Employees who are exempt under the FLSA are not entitled to overtime pay. Whether or not a Best Western employee falls under the “administrative” or “professional” exemptions is determine based on job description, job duties, rate of pay, and number of hours worked.
Employers often deny or unlawfully refuse to pay overtime by misclassifying the positions of the workers, claiming that they are exempt when, in reality, they are not. For example, Best Western assistant managers could be classified as exempt based on the “manager” title, when in reality, their job duties reflect a non-exempt position. This misclassification could prevent them from receiving their due overtime wages.
Best Western may also require their employees to report to work early but not “punch the clock” until later or strike hours off of time cards, or they may refuse to pay employees for work done before the shift starts and after they punch out for the day. These are violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and can give rise to an overtime pay lawsuit.
An experienced overtime pay attorney will be able to analyze your case in the context of the FLSA and your state’s laws to determine if you are due overtime wages from Best Western.
Does Best Western Have to Pay Overtime Wages to its Employees?
In many cases Best Western is required to pay overtime wages to employees that work more than 40 hours in one week. This excludes employees who are considered exempt under the FLSA.
Exemption is not cut and dry; the FLSA is a complicated law and state laws can complicate the picture even further.
If you believe that Best Western owes you overtime pay, it is best to consult an attorney who has experience with the FLSA and state overtime wage laws.
To determine whether you are eligible for filing a wage claim, contact our experienced Best Western Overtime Pay Lawyers at (855) 754-2795 for a Free Consultation to discuss your case or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review Form on this page. We will discuss your situation and determine if you have a claim. If you are owed unpaid wages, we will represent you under our No Fee Promise, which means there are never any legal fees or costs unless you receive a settlement.
Has Best Western Been Involved in Overtime Pay Lawsuits?
Over the past several years, current or former employees have brought a number of lawsuits against hotels like Best Western in an effort to reclaim lost overtime wages. If you believe Best Western is denying you overtime wages, you could have a case similar to that of previous a lawsuit. Here are a few examples of such lawsuits:
- A housekeeper working for Choice Hotels International Inc. in California recently filed a proposed class action against the hotel chain. Her lawsuit alleges California labor law violations related to overtime pay and meal and rest breaks, and inaccurate wage statements.
- Over one-dozen current and former restaurant workers for a New York hotel recently filed a federal class action lawsuit against the business, claiming the defendant underpaid workers, denied overtime, and went as far as to retaliate against at least one employee after she confronted management about pay discrepancies.
- Interstate Hotels & Resorts Inc., a hotel management chain, is facing a class action wage and overtime pay lawsuit in California state court. The employees allege the company violated state labor laws when it failed to provide meal or rest breaks, to pay the state’s minimum wage, and to pay overtime when non-exempt employees worked more than 40 hours a week or more than 8 hours a day.
Best Western Overtime Pay Lawyer Review
