Pennsylvania Restaurant to Pay $269K for Unlawful Pay Practices, Youngster Labor Violations

A Collegeville, Pennsylvania restaurant and its house owners should pay $268,660 in again wages, liquidated damages and punitive damages to fulfill a consent judgment obtained by the U.S. Division of Labor after an investigation into the employers’ unlawful pay practices.

In keeping with federal officers, an investigation by the division’s Wage and Hour Division discovered that Aston CC LLC, working as Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill, and house owners George El Roueiheb and Vicken Mouchlin, willfully violated federal regulation by failing to pay kitchen employees time and one-half for hours over 40 in a workweek. The division additionally decided the employers paid a cashier and supply drivers for additional time hours individually in money however didn’t pay the required additional time charge. The division stated employers additionally didn’t preserve time and pay data for workers they paid absolutely or partially in money.

Investigators additionally discovered that the restaurant violated the Truthful Labor Requirements Act’s anti-retaliation provision by firing three workers who complained to the employers about their additional time pay practices. The consent judgment requires them to pay $9,000 in punitive damages to be distributed to the affected workers for the illegal retaliation.

Throughout its investigation, the division additionally found the restaurant and its house owners employed three kids to work in occupations outlined as hazardous for younger employees. Particularly, the employers tasked a 17-year-old and a 15-year-old to function a meat slicer, and two 17-year-olds to function a vertical dough mixer. As well as, the employers allowed one baby beneath 16 to work greater than 8 hours when faculty was not in session, one other FLSA violation. Investigation additionally concluded the employers failed to take care of data of the dates of beginning of workers beneath age 19 and each day and weekly hours labored for 3 kids.

“The Truthful Labor Requirements Act doesn’t allow employers to disclaim additional time pay or jeopardize the protection of younger employees,” stated Wage and Hour Division District Director James Cain in Philadelphia. “Meals service trade employers should adjust to federal wage and child labor laws to keep away from violations like those discovered on this case. Studying new expertise within the workforce is a vital a part of rising up, however we should defend kids and ensure their first jobs are protected and don’t intervene with their schooling or well-being.”

Along with the again wages and damages, the judgment entered by the U.S. District Courtroom for the Jap District of Pennsylvania requires Vincent’s Pizzeria & Grill, El Roueiheb and Mouchlin to pay $9,323 for the kid labor violations and $6,657 in civil cash penalties for the willful additional time violations. The judgment additionally requires the employers to adjust to the FLSA’s anti-retaliation, baby labor, additional time and minimal wage provisions sooner or later.

Supply: Wage and Hour Division

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Pennsylvania