Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet paid kitchen staff a flat wage for all hours worked
SIOUX FALLS, SD – The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $279,070 in back wages and liquidated damages from a Sioux Falls buffet restaurant that paid kitchen workers a flat monthly salary and denied them overtime wages for hours over 40 in a workweek.
An investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division found Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet – operated by H & G Inc. – failed to pay 31 workers overtime wages when required, did not keep accurate records of hours worked or employees’ full names and addresses, and failed to post the required poster, all violations Fair Labor Standards Act.
“H & G Inc. denied 31 kitchen workers their full wages and hurt these workers and their families by making it more difficult for them to make ends meet,” explained Wage and Hour District Director Chad Frasier in Denver. “The Wage and Hour Division knows violations like these are all too common in the restaurant industry, and we leverage resources – such as working cooperatively with advocacy groups – to bring employers into compliance and ensure workers’ rights and benefits are protected under the law.”
In addition to paying back wages, H & G agreed to conduct internal bi-annual compliance audits and to provide ongoing training on federal wage laws to managers and workers.
In fiscal year 2021, the Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $34.7 million for more than 29,000 food...
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