Orlando Restaurant Pays $30,878 in Back Wages After U.S. Department of Labor Investigation Finds Violations

ORLANDO, FL – After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), Santos Burgos Corp. – operating as Guavate Restaurant in Orlando, Florida – has paid $30,878 in back wages to 42 employees for violating the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Investigators found Santos Burgos Corp. violated the requirements of the FLSA when they paid workers straight time rates for all the hours that they worked, resulting in overtime violations when employees worked more than 40 hours in a week and the employer did not pay overtime. The employer violated minimum wage requirements by failing to provide two employees their final paychecks, resulting in employees not being paid for worked hours. In addition, Santos Burgos Corp. failed to keep accurate payroll records for all employees.

“When employers fail to pay required overtime, they deny workers their earnings and put their law-abiding competitors at an economic disadvantage,” said Wage and Hour District Director Wildalí De Jesús, in Orlando, Florida. “The Wage and Hour Division is available to help employers understand their obligations and avoid violations. We invite anyone with questions to contact us for assistance.”

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.

For more information about the FLSA and other laws enforced by the WHD, contact the toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Employers who discover overtime or minimum wage violations may self-report and resolve those violations without litigation through the PAID program. Information is also available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd.

WHD’s mission is to promote and achieve compliance with labor standards to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation's workforce. WHD enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WHD also enforces the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, wage garnishment provisions of the Consumer Credit Protection Act and a number of employment standards and worker protections as provided in several immigration related statutes. Additionally, WHD administers and enforces the prevailing wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act, and other statutes applicable to federal contracts for construction and for the provision of goods and services.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.