The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, in collaboration with the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission and the South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation, has announced a webinar to mark National Waitstaff Day. The event will focus on federal wage and other protections for people employed in the state’s food service industry.
Scheduled for May 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT, this online event aims to provide comprehensive information on the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping provisions as well as tip pool requirements. Additionally, it will address safety hazards and discrimination in the workplace.
In fiscal year 2023, the Wage and Hour Division’s Columbia district office identified violations in 108 investigations in the food services industry. These investigations found more than 6,400 workers owed over $1.6 million in back wages and liquidated damages. Furthermore, the agency assessed more than $160,000 in civil money penalties to employers found violating the FLSA.
“South Carolina’s food service workers are among some of our lowest-paid workers. The U.S. Department of Labor and our state partners remain committed to ensuring these vulnerable workers take home every dollar earned,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “We’ve designed this webinar to meet the food service industry’s unique needs in the hope that we can educate employers – including staffing agencies – on their legal responsibilities and help workers understand how we safeguard their wages and benefits.”
