California employees who don’t receive their unpaid wages may be able to seek assistance through the courts. A restaurant in San Francisco has been hit with a $339,716 fine for unpaid wages, one of the largest settlements in 2012. The restaurant had many troubles and was the recipient of several citations issued against them concerning the unpaid money, overtime and for failing to provide itemized payroll statements for their 28 employees.
They will be required to pay the fine and maintain daily records of hours that their employees have worked. They will also have to begin providing their employees with wage statements accurately reflecting their work. Current law requires overtime pay to be given to any workers who either work over eight hours per day or clock more than 40 hours in a week.
The California Labor Commissioner issued a statement about the fine and said that the settlement will send a strong message to any employer who fails to follow the law and pay their employees as they should. State law prohibits employers from not properly tracking a worker’s hours in order to avoid paying them. The fine and subsequent citations could go a long way in ensuring employer compliance.
Any time that an employee is owed unpaid wages, it can be a matter that could go to court. Employees may wish to ensure that they are familiar with their state’s labor laws and their rights as an employee. Everyone has the right to be paid properly and know how their employers are tracking their hours. Employers who fail to follow the law could find themselves subjected to legal action.
Source: San Francisco Business Times, “San Francisco’s Tsing Tao Restaurants slapped with $300K fine over unpaid wages,” Renee Frojo, Dec. 5, 2012