US Department of Labor recovers $47K in back wages, damages for 107 workers after restaurant failed to pay legal minimum wage, overtime

Employer:                       Sharky’s Vintage Park LLC

                                             operating as Sharky’s American Grill & Sharky’s Waterfront Grill LLC

Investigation sites:    Corporate headquarters

                                              2605 W Lake Houston Parkway

                                              Kingwood, TX 77339                                

Investigation findings: Investigator with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found minimum wage violations after Sharky’s deducted pay from 66 employees wages for uniforms which caused their pay rate to fall below minimum wage rates for all hours worked. Additionally, the employer failed to pay 81 workers the correct over time rate. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires all nonexempt employees to make at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and time-and-a-half their regular rate of pay for hours over 40 a week.

Back Wages and Damages Recovered:       $23,479 in back wages

                                                                        $23,479 in liquidated damages                                               

Quote: “People employed by the restaurant industry often work long hours to support themselves and their families. They have the right to be paid all of their earned wages,” said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Nicole Sellers  in Houston. “Companies are obligated to pay employees their full legally earned wages and must understand their legal responsibilities. Trained Wage and Hour professionals are available to assist employers who are unsure of regulations to avoid compliance issues.”

Background: Employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at its toll-free number, 1-866-4-US-WAGE. The division also offers numerous online resources for employers, such as a fact sheet on Fair Labor Standards Act wage laws overtime requirements. Workers who feel they may not be getting the wages they earned may contact a Wage and Hour Division representative in their state through a list and interactive online map on the agency’s website. Workers and employers alike can help ensure hours worked and pay are accurate by downloading the department’s Android Timesheet App for free.

Learn more about Wage and Hour Division.