Recovers $11K in overtime wages, damages for workers, assesses $26K in penalties
HONOLULU – The U.S. Department of Labor has found a Kauai restaurant allowed eight minors, some as young as 15-years-old, to cook and bake in violation of federal laws that prohibit employers from assigning hazardous occupations to underage employees, and denied overtime wages to 18 employees.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division investigation found Tahiti Nui Enterprises Inc. – operating as Tahiti Nui – also permitted the minors to work beyond the hours federal law permits. The Polynesian-style restaurant also failed to pay 18 employees required overtime rates for hours over 40 hours in a workweek. These actions violated the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The investigation led to the division’s recovery of $11,181 in back wages and liquidated damages for the workers denied overtime. The division also assessed Tahiti Nui with $26,355 in civil money penalties for its child labor violations and reckless disregard of the FLSA’s overtime requirements.
“As employers expand their use of young workers in food service industry, the U.S. Department of Labor works tirelessly to make certain that they meet their legal obligation to ensure the safety of these workers,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Terence Trotter in Honolulu. “A job should never jeopardize the safety, well-being or educational opportunities of young workers.”
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