Unfortunately, many California residents may find themselves cheated out of fair compensation at some point in their lives. The incident may come about due to unclear agreements or simply because of unjust actions. Even individuals who have steady employment could find themselves needing to make wage and hour claims due to not being properly compensated for their services.
It was recently reported that a restaurant in another state must pay back numerous employees due to wage violations. Apparently, 58 employees at the restaurant are in line to receive back pay as well as compensation for other damages. The agreement that recently came into effect requires the owner of the restaurant pay back approximately $170,000 in wages and an equal amount to cover other damages.
The U.S. Department of Labor conducted an investigation into the restaurant, though it was unclear what may have sparked the investigation. Nonetheless, it was discovered that the restaurant owner had been paying non-tipped trainees below the minimum wage, at $3.75 an hour. Additionally, employees who worked over 40 hours a week were not given overtime pay. The restaurant apparently had not returned a request for comment at the time of the report.
If California workers are being improperly compensated for their work-related duties, action may need to be taken. Filing wage and hour claims could bring attention to the wrongdoing and allow individuals to work toward obtaining the compensation they deserve. Parties who feel that taking this step could help their situations may wish to consider speaking with experienced attorneys regarding their options.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Chicago Restaurant To Pay $339,000 In Wage-Violation Case: Feds“, Bob Roberts, Dec. 6, 2017