The San Antonio chain of car washes, known as the "Wash Tub," has agreed with the Department of Labor to pay $246,438 in back wages.  The chain deducted so many items from some workers’ checks that their wages came to less than minimum wage.  They failed to pay overtime wages and failed to record time worked.  The back wages amount to about $800 per worker. 

The DOL investigation found that the chain was deducting charges for uniforms, cash register shortages, and insurance claims.  The deductions brought the amount paid per hour to less than the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.  See San Antonio Express News report.  The DOL also found that some employees were not paid the minimum wage of $7.25/hour when their commissions fell short. 

The Wash Tub typically employs younger workers, who are often less likely to complain.  It appears that practice has caught up with this employer.