After an investigation by the Department of Labor, four Fairfield County, Connecticut, restaurants and their owners have paid a total of $116,087 in back wages and liquidated damages to 35 employees for violating the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The investigation found that four locations of the restaurant Garelick & Herbs violated FLSA overtime requirements when they paid hourly employees straight time rates for hours they worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The restaurant also paid kitchen staff on a shift or salary basis, resulting in additional overtime violations when these employees worked more than 40 hours per week yet were not paid overtime.
Under the FLSA and local labor laws, restaurants are required to pay their workers at a rate of time-and-a-half for all hours worked over 40 in a work week. For example, if a line cook in Fairfield was earning $11.00 per hour, any hours worked over 40 should be paid at $16.50. Connecticut employees are also entitled to a minimum wage rate of at least $11.00 per hour. The minimum wage is set to increase over the next three years in Connecticut until it reaches $15.00 per hour in 2023.
Pechman Law Group has represented hundreds of restaurant workers in Connecticut, recovering over a million dollars for Connecticut workers that were cheated out of their overtime and minimum wages. If you are a restaurant worker and have questions about your labor rights or believe you have been a victim of wage theft, please call our office at 212-583-9500 to schedule a free consultation.
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