The U.S. Department of Labor has secured a consent judgment and injunction to recover $66,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 13 restaurant workers in Oklahoma City. The employer, Zachary Edge, owner and operator of Edge Craft LLC, was found to have kept employee tips and failed to pay overtime, violating federal labor regulations.

The judgment was entered by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma on October 23, 2024. It followed an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that revealed several violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. These included paying straight time wages for all hours over 40 in a workweek instead of overtime, incorrectly applying the tipped employee designation, failing to maintain required wage records, and using an inappropriate exemption for a manager leading to overtime violations.

“Tips are solely the property of workers who earned them," stated Wage and Hour Division District Director Michael Speer in Oklahoma City. "An employer that takes a tip credit against its minimum wage obligations is not allowed to keep any portion of employees’ tips or share them with non-tipped workers."

The Wage and Hour Division remains committed to ensuring workers receive their due wages and offers assistance to employers in understanding their legal responsibilities. More information about the division can be accessed online, including tools for those who believe they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Both workers and employers can reach out through a toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243), with confidentiality assured and support available in more than 200 languages.

Additionally, the agency offers a Timesheet App for iOS and Android devices in English and Spanish to help ensure accurate tracking of hours worked and pay received.