Six Connecticut restaurants have been ordered to pay more than $850,000 to 105 employees after violating the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on Tuesday announced a federal court entered a consent judgment and order that requires the restaurant owners to pay employees for back wages and liquidated damages.
“This case reflects the U.S. Department of Labor’s commitment to litigate aggressively and secure back wages, tips and liquidated damages owed to workers,” Maia Fisher, the DOL regional solicitor in Boston, said in a statement.
The six Connecticut restaurants and ownership groups include 1077 LLC., which operates Scena Wine Bar and Restaurant in Darien; SL Restaurant Group LLC., which operates 55 Wine Bar in Fairfield; Greenwich Avenue Restaurant LLC., which owns Sundown in Greenwich; Siguenza LLC., which owns Cava Wine Bar and Restaurant in New Canaan; 1104 Chapel Street LLC., which operates Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant in New Haven; and 36 Railroad Place LLC., which owns Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant Westport.
“These employers’ pay practices deprived workers of the full, hard-earned wages and tips on which they depend to help them support themselves and their families,” Donald Epifano, the DOL Wage and Hour Division district director in Hartford, said in a statement. “While these types of violations are common in the restaurant industry, unfortunately, they can be prevented with knowledge and compliance with the law.”
According to the DOL, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in November granted the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s motion for partial summary judgment in its entirety, concluding that the employers violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) overtime and recordkeeping provisions. The court awarded a total of $251,129 in back wages for overtime violations and held the employers liable for liquidated damages and forbid them from violating the FLSA’s overtime and recordkeeping provisions, officials said.
After obtaining a favorable order on partial summary judgment, the department and the employers entered into a consent judgment. The judgment — entered by the court on Feb. 3 — requires the employers to pay additional back wages, withheld tips and liquidated damages owed for all remaining claims, including those for minimum wage, tip pool and other overtime violations.
The judgment also incorporates the court’s summary judgment decision and requires the restaurants and their owners to pay a total of $858,191 in back wages, withheld tips and liquidated damages.
“We encourage employers with questions and concerns about their responsibilities, and employees with questions about their rights under federal wage laws, to contact the Wage and Hour Division,” Epifano said.
