Bismarck (CSi) A Fargo-based hotel owner still denies any wrongdoing after U.S. Department of Labor investigators found that Bharat I. Patel violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by misclassifying some employees as salaried exempt and failing to pay overtime and at least the minimum wage to front-desk clerks, housekeeping staff and other hotel employees.

Without admitting to any of the allegations, Patel agreed to settle the lawsuit brought Dec. 15 by the Labor Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for North Dakota.

Patel agreed to pay $122,870.97 in back wages for the period from Dec. 17, 2011, to June 16, 2014, and pay an additional $61,435.50 in damages directly to employees for the same time period.

In North Dakota, the judgment will benefit employees who worked at the Econo Lodge East, Econo Lodge West, Quality Inn, Super 8 Fargo, Howard Johnson Inn and Quality Suites in Fargo; the Hampton Inn & Suites in Jamestown; the Travel Inn, Super 8 and Travel Host Motel, which operates as the Relax Inn, in Dickinson; the Super 8 in Valley City; and the Rodeway Inn in Wahpeton.

In addition to the back pay and damages, Patel agreed to train managers on federal wage requirements and provide workers with information on wage laws and contact information for the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division for at least four years.