California's labor commissioner issued citations totaling more than a half million dollars to three restaurants for minimum wage, overtime and rest break violations.
The investigations revealed the owners failed to pay overtime, provide proper rest and or meal breaks and failed to provide employees with proper wage statements.
"Investigators with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) are the protectors of those who go to work every day to earn an honest living," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona. DIR investigators are members of CSLEA. "There are labor laws in place for a reason and those business owners who don't comply and pay their employees by the book, are going to face penalties."
The three restaurants cited:
Urasawa in Beverly Hills -
- Three workers are due $38,585 in unpaid wages
- $18,500 penalty for failure to provide wage deduction statements
- $8,700 penlaty for failure to pay overtime and provide rest and meal periods
Ikebana in Salinas -
- $186,145 for failure to pay minimum wages, overtime, split shift premiums and failure to provide meal breaks
- $60,550 penalty for failure to provide employees with accurate wage deduction statements and for violating child labor provisions
Seoul Jung in Santa Clara -
- $165,709 for failing to pay overtime premiums