Oklahoma Restaurant to Pay Thousands in Back Wages to Servers
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found numerous violations requiring a restaurant to pay current and former workers $84,864.
An Oklahoma restaurant has agreed to pay $84,864 to employees following an investigation into pay and record keeping practices. Peyton’s Place LLC in Duncan, Okla. owes both current and former employees compensation for violating minimum wage and record-keeping standards.
The investigation, conducted by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, found that employees failed to receive the minimum payment of $2.13 per hour for tipped workers. Instead, servers worked only for tips.
"Restaurant workers are among the most vulnerable in the work force. These workers are entitled to receive the wages they have rightfully earned," said Cynthia Watson, regional administrator for the Wage and Hour Division in the Southwest, via the Department of Labor website. "When an employer violates the FLSA, the Labor Department will not hesitate to take appropriate action to ensure workers receive the wages they have earned, and that employers who play by the rules do not operate at a competitive disadvantage to those who do not."
In addition to low wages, Peyton’s Place failed to keep records of hours worked and the dates of birth for employees under 18.
More information on employee compensation standards can be found on the website for the Wage and Hour division.