U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in Amarillo Meat Market and Restaurant Paying $74,388 to Resolve Overtime and Child Law Violations and Penalties

AMARILLO, TX – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Carniceria La Popular Inc. has paid $34,319 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages to resolve overtime and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). WHD also assessed $5,750 in civil money penalties for child labor violations.

WHD investigators found that the employer – based in Amarillo, Texas – violated the FLSA's overtime requirements by paying employees flat salaries without regard to the number of hours that they actually worked.  This practice resulted in overtime violations when non-exempt employees worked more than 40 hours in a week and were not paid overtime. Investigators also found the combination meat market, grocery store, tortilla factory, and restaurant violated the FLSA's child labor provisions by allowing minors to clean a band saw and a meat slicer, hazardous equipment specifically prohibited by law for either operation or cleaning by workers under 18 years old.

"Child labor provisions under the Fair Labor Standards Act are designed to protect the educational opportunities for young employees and prohibit their employment in jobs that are detrimental to their health and safety," said Betty Campbell, Wage and Hour Division Regional Administrator. "The U.S. Department of Labor is also committed to ensuring that employees receive the wages they've legally earned, and that we enforce the law to level the playing field for law-abiding employers."

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243).

For more information on child labor go to https://www.youthrules.dol.gov/know-the-limits/hazards/index.htm 

Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool to use if you think you may be owed back wages collected by the Division.