When a person is hired to do a job in the state of California, the basic agreement and understanding is that the employee gets paid for the work he or she provides. Failing to pay employees is not only morally wrong — it is illegal. The Fair Labor Standards Act is a federal law that establishes certain standards of employment, such as minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. There are also wage and hour laws in each state to ensure that employees are compensated fairly. Unfortunately, some employers continue to break these laws.
The owners of a restaurant in another state were recently ordered to pay $2 million for breaking several employment laws. The verdict was the result of a lawsuit filed by six employees against the owners of the restaurant for allegedly failing to properly pay its employees. The plaintiffs claimed that the owners of the restaurant often forced them to work over 80 hours a week and did not pay them overtime.
The plaintiffs also alleged that the owners paid them a flat salary of only $5.83, which is well below the required minimum wage. Employees claimed they were forced to work under these conditions even after making complaints to the owner. A jury awarded $2 million to the plaintiffs for damages and back pay.
Laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act were established to protect workers across the country. Workers in California who have had their rights violated by an employer can take legal action. By filing and litigating a wage and hour lawsuit, victims could receive a monetary award to help recover from lost wages.
Source: abc7ny.com, “Upper West Side pizza restaurant Big Nick’s ordered to pay $2 million for labor law violations“, Danielle Leigh, Nov. 15, 2017