U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Operator of Fruit and Vegetable Markets Paying $135,657 in Back Wages to 212 Employees

TROY, MI – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, Nino Salvaggio Fruit and Vegetable Markets—operator of three Detroit-area fruit and vegetable markets—has agreed to pay $135,657 in back overtime wages and interest to 212 employees to resolve a federal lawsuit.  

Investigators determined Nino Salvaggio Fruit and Vegetable Markets failed to pay employees for time they spent on rest breaks shorter than 20 minutes, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Failing to pay for this time resulted in overtime violations when employees worked more than 40 hours in a work week, as well as in recordkeeping violations when the excluded hours were not recorded. The violations affected employees at Salvaggio’s locations in Clinton Township, St. Clair Shores, and Troy.

“Employees depend on receiving the wages they have rightfully earned,” said Wage and Hour District Director Timolin Mitchell, in Detroit. “Wage violations can be avoided when employers understand the rules. We encourage employers to contact the Wage and Hour Division for guidance on laws governing rest breaks and any other requirements so they can avoid violations. The division offers many tools to help employers comply with the law.”

To resolve this matter, the employer agreed to the entry of a consent judgment issued by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the Division’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by WHD.

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Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Docket Number: 2:17-cv-14136