U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Oahu Restaurant Owner Paying $60,721 in Overtime to 62 Employees

HONOLULU, HI – After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation, the owners of four Ichiriki Japanese Nabe Restaurants on Oahu will pay $60,721 in overtime owed to 62 employees to resolve pay violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

WHD investigators found that the employer improperly paid overtime to some employees only when they worked more than 80 hours in a semi-monthly pay period, rather than for any hours worked beyond 40 per work week, as the law requires. The employer also paid some employees straight time rates for overtime hours worked. The employer also paid managers a flat rate per day, without regard to the number of hours that they worked. This practice resulted in overtime violations when those employees worked more than 40 hours in a work week and were not paid overtime. The employer, which operates restaurants in Honolulu, Aiea and Kaneohe, also failed to keep accurate records of the number of hours employees worked, the Division found.

“When we resolve cases like this one, we protect workers and ensure that employers are competing on a level playing field,” said WHD District Director Terence Trotter, in Honolulu. “We urge all employers to use the many tools our agency offers to learn about their legal responsibilities, avoid violations and operate in compliance.”

Employees and employers with questions about the FLSA or any of the federal wage laws administered by the Division should call the agency’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). All calls are confidential.

More information is available online at http://www.dol.gov/whd/.