US Department of Labor recovers more than $90K in overtime back wages for 14 Austin-area pizzeria workers; finds child labor violations

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US Department of Labor recovers more than $90K in overtime back wages for 14 Austin-area pizzeria workers; finds child labor violations

The following news brief was published by the Wage and Hour Division on Sept. 2. It is reproduced in full below.

Employer name: Yaghi Enterprises, Inc. operating as Yaghi’s New York Pizzeria

Investigation sites: 12400 Hwy. 71 West, Suite 510, Austin

4220 W. William Cannon Drive, Suite 120, Austin

920 N. Vista Ridge Blvd., Suite 550, Cedar Park

2100 Cypress Creek Road, Suite 100, Cedar Park

4500 Williams Drive, Suite 200, Georgetown

5910 Babcock Road, Suite 104, San Antonio

Investigation findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found Yaghi Enterprises, Inc. denied overtime wages to 14 employees at multiple locations and failed to keep accurate records of hours worked. The employer also tasked minor-aged workers to work as pizza delivery drivers, and allowed the hours of minors under age 16 to exceed permitted work hours during the school year. All of these actions violate the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Back wages recovered: $90,127 in overtime back wages

Penalties assessed: $17,226 in civil money penalties for the nature of the violations.

Quote: “Employers who violate workers’ rights to be paid their full wages and who fail to provide a safe work environment will be held legally accountable," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicole Sellers in Austin. “Our investigation found that Yaghi Enterprises, Inc. denied overtime wages to 14 workers and took the safety and well-being of minor-aged workers for granted. As a result, the employer faces costly consequences that they could have avoided by contacting the Department of Labor to ensure compliance with the law."

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Source: Wage and Hour Division