US Department of Labor recovers $41K in back wages for five workers denied minimum wage, overtime by Weatherford restaurant employer

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US Department of Labor recovers $41K in back wages for five workers denied minimum wage, overtime by Weatherford restaurant employer

The following news brief was published by the Wage and Hour Division on May 26. It is reproduced in full below.

Employer name: Antonio’s Mexican Restaurant Weatherford Inc.

(operating as Antonio’s Homestyle Cooking)

Investigation site: 1900 Santa Fe Drive

Weatherford, TX 76086

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Antonio’s Homestyle Cooking in Weatherford claimed a tip credit, but did not pay at least the required $2.13 per hour for all hours worked by the restaurant’s servers. Specifically, the employer did not pay for any hours over 40 in a workweek, in violation of the minimum wage and overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also failed to keep accurate employee time records, another FLSA violation.

Back wages recovered: $41,279 in back wages to five workers

Quote: “Denying wages rightfully earned by workers in this low-wage industry is wage theft, plain and simple," explained the Wage and Hour District Director Jesus A. Valdez in Dallas. “Compliance issues like these are all-too-common in the food service industry, and industry employers should review their legal obligations carefully to avoid the negative consequences that violations found in a U.S. Department of Labor investigation can cause."

Source: Wage and Hour Division