Does Cedar Point Not Pay Time and a Half?

First off, is this true?
Secondly, how are they getting away with this as this is a federal law in all 50 states?

I was originally interested because I heard of all these extra hours most people were getting and I factored overtime compensation into the equation. But if it is true that they are only paying minimum wage for all hours worked, this is starting to sound like slave labor... substandard pay, housing being deducted from that pay, coupled with the fact that you are already in debt to the company the day you start out (the $100 security deposit), essentially being forced to buying all meals from them, etc.

*disclaimer: I heard this on another site

Yes, they can not pay overtime. Because the employees are seasonal, working at a seasonal business. It's the same at many different parks.

It's not that they can't, it's that they don't have to. And yes, there are seasonal overtime exemptions, which I think were designed largely for the farm industry, but they obviously apply to amusement parks in diverse climates.

You can still make a lot of money working 48+ hours a week. The Ohio minimum wage I believe now is 8.10 an hour. I've heard of employees getting up to 70 hours a week, and take that times the minimum wage and it can be a nice paycheck.It all depends on attendance as well. However, I saw that the average week is 6 days and at least an 8 hour day, depending on the department. So just because Cedar Point doesn't pay overtime, there's still an opportunity to make very good money.

This may be a dumb question, but do you qualify to file tax return for withholdings from the paycheck? In other words, do you ultimately net 100% of the $8.10/hr?

No, you still pay taxes. But you would likely qualify to get most of that back when you file your return.

JLK said:

This may be a dumb question, but do you qualify to file tax return for withholdings from the paycheck? In other words, do you ultimately net 100% of the $8.10/hr?

No, that's illegal of all employment throughout the United States. You are required by the federal government to pay social security and medicare withholdings on all income earned. These are non-refundable. That being said, depending on your total income throughout the year, you may qualify to have your federal and/or state tax withholdings fully or partially refunded. This depends on your home location, work location, and many other laws and regulations.

Note: I am neither an attorney nor a lawyer. Please consult the appropriate specialists for more information on this.

Don't trash your room and you will get the $100 back at the end of the season. You are not forced to eat at CP all the time if you have a car or a friend that has car. There are plenty of dinning options in Sandusky and Perkins Twp. I will say the prices in the Cafe are reasonable and the food choices are pretty good. I have not been to the rec center since they remodeled it but there is a Subway in there now. Housing used to be roughly $40 a week but that is a whole lot cheaper than you will pay for anything else in town. Depending on where you work, you will most likely be working a lot of hours and not have time to do anything else to worry about spending the money you earned!

There is no longer a subway in the rec. It's Cedar Point style cafeteria food that is somewhat decent quality, and they also serve beer. They close the same time subway used to close (IIRC, 2 hours after park closing). There is also a "convenient" type store inside also that sells dry foods like chips, donuts, hot pockets, etc. (like the old commons store used too). I believe that closes fairly late. The season ended 4 months ago and I can't remember. How sad.