U.S. Department of Labor recovered back wages and damages from California restaurateurs who failed to pay overtime wages.
Rober Yousef Babish, his wife Ivette and their sons Julian and Joseph own Millie's Cafe locations in Los Angeles and Pasadena, according to a Dec. 6 news release. DOL recovered $370,194 in back wages and liquidated damages after they denied overtime wages to 54 workers and "attempted to hide their misdeeds."
"Wage theft is a serious violation, and restaurant industry workers are too often its victims," Wage and Hour Assistant District Director Susan Bacon said, according to the release. "These low-wage workers can least afford to have their pay shortchanged, especially by unscrupulous employers like the owners of these Millie's Cafe restaurants. We are determined to recover all workers' hard-earned wages and hold to account those who deny them their due."
The DOL investigation found the Babish family failed to pay overtime to employees at the two restaurant for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, which is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Workers at the Millie's Cafe locations worked as many as 37 hours of overtime per week but were not paid for the overtime, according to the news release.
"In an effort to mask their violations, the owners issued company checks and made cash payments," the news release said. "They also failed to keep records of all hours worked, including overtime hours, which led to record keeping violations."
"Today's workers can choose to work for employers who value them, pay them full wages and respect their rights as workers," Bacon said, according to the release. "Employers who comply with labor law and appreciate the dignity of work will have a clear advantage when it comes to retaining and recruiting the people they need for their businesses to operate."
