U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Results in San Antonio Restaurants Paying $208,642 in Back Wages

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Taqueria Chapala Jalisco restaurant – based in San Antonio, Texas – has paid $208,642 to 69 employees to resolve violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements found at four of its locations during a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigation.

WHD investigators found the employer paid employees flat amounts per day without regard of the number of hours they actually worked in a workweek. This practice resulted in overtime violations when kitchen and wait staff worked up to 60 hours per week without overtime pay. In some instances, the employees worked so many hours that the day rates failed to meet the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The employer also failed to maintain time records for these employees, violating the FLSA's recordkeeping provisions.

Taqueria Chapala Jalisco cooperated fully with the investigation and has taken steps to comply with the federal regulations going forward.

"The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring employees receive all the wages they have rightfully earned, and that employers compete on a level playing field," said Wage and Hour Division District Director Cynthia Ramos, in San Antonio. "We encourage employers to reach out to us for assistance to ensure they are in compliance with the law."

The Department offers numerous resources to ensure employers have the tools they need to understand their responsibilities and to comply with federal law, such as online videos, confidential calls, or in-person visits to local WHD offices.

Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the Division, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available at www.dol.gov/whd including a search tool for workers who may be owed back wages collected by WHD.

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