Raymond's to pay more than $325,500 in back wages for overtime, minimum wage violations at Ridgewood and Montclair, NJ, eateries

Employer: Raymond's Ridgewood LLC, restaurant owner

Sites: Raymond's restaurants located at 101 East Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, N.J., and 28 Church Street in Montclair, N.J.

Investigative findings: The Northern New Jersey District Office of the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that 76 workers at the Montclair establishment are due $225,486 in back wages because the employer did not pay members of the kitchen staff overtime when they worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek. The employer also failed to use the correct rate when calculating overtime for tipped workers.

At the Ridgewood location, 84 employees are due $100,048 in back wages because the company failed to pay the kitchen staff overtime when required. Investigators also found that the employer did not pay tipped workers the proper wage rate at the very beginning of their employment and improperly computed overtime for tipped employees.

"Restaurant workers who live on low wages often struggle to make ends meet, so when they aren't paid correctly, that burden is even greater," said John Warner, director of the Northern New Jersey Wage and Hour District Office. "This case reinforces the division's commitment to protect the rights of all workers, particularly those working hard in low-wage industries, as well as to hold employers accountable when they do not pay the wages required by law."

Back wages due: $325,534

For more information about federal wage laws, call the Wage and Hour Division's toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or its Northern New Jersey District Office at 908-317-8611. Information is also available at http://www.dol.gov/whd/.