Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Labor has once again found that La Mojarra Loca restaurants in Las Vegas have shortchanged their workers' wages. The department has recovered $151,000 for 33 workers who were denied overtime pay.
An investigation by the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division revealed that three La Mojarra Loca restaurant locations in Las Vegas did not pay the required overtime rates for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. This is a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer had incorrectly classified employees as exempt from overtime pay and paid them a flat salary, regardless of how many hours they worked.
The back wages recovered included $75,729 in overtime wages for 33 employees, $75,729 in liquidated damages for 33 employees, and $9,058 in civil money penalties due to the reckless and repeated nature of the violations.
“The operator of these La Mojarra Loca restaurants has continued to blatantly underpay and deprive employees of their hard-earned wages despite repeated investigations,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Gene Ramos in Las Vegas. “We are determined to do everything in our power under the law to stop the unacceptable practices of employers such as La Mojarra Loca.”
The division’s investigations took place at three La Mojarra Loca restaurants located at 2797 S. Maryland Parkway, 821 N. Lamb Blvd., and 3210 E. Lake Mead Blvd. The infractions identified were similar to violations discovered at La Mojarra Loca restaurants during three previous investigations - one in 2019 and two in 2022. Those investigations recovered more than $450,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for affected employees, along with more than $34,000 in penalties.
Workers can use the division’s Workers Owed Wages search tool to see if they are owed back wages collected by the division. Employers and workers can contact the Wage and Hour Division for help and assistance at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. More information about the Wage and Hour Division, including the agency’s restaurants compliance assistance toolkit and an overview of the FLSA protections for restaurant workers, is available online. Workers and employers can also ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android and IOS Timesheet App for free in English or Spanish.
