MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Mississippi Wingstop franchise operator has been fined after an investigation by the Department of Labor determined they violated labor laws by charging employees for uniforms, safety training, background checks, cash register shortages and violating child labor regulations.
Boss Wings Enterprises was under investigation by the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division after several violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act were discovered.
The Department of Labor said there were minimum wage violations when paychecks were deducted for uniform cost and cash register shortages which resulted in hourly employee rates dropping below the $7.25 federal minimum wage.
These violations also included overtime violations when the employer deducted the cost of background checks and safety training. According to the DoL, the employer illegally reduced the rate-of-pay in weeks when workers earned overtime which led Boss Wings to pay overtime wages that were lower than federal law requires.
The Department of Labor noted recordkeeping violations for failing to maintain accurate records of employee hours and wage deductions.
“Restaurant industry employees work hard, often for low wages, and many depend on every dollar earned to make ends meet,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall said. “The law prevents Boss Wing Enterprises LLC from shifting operating costs to workers by deducting the costs of uniforms, cash register shortages or training...
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