US Department of Labor recovers $51K in back wages for 56 workers after investigation finds SoCal supermarket violated federal overtime requirements

IRVINE, CA – An Irvine supermarket has paid $51,430 in back wages owed to 56 workers after the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found violations of the overtime requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Investigators determined that Sprouts Farmers Market failed to record and pay for hours that workers in its bakery, deli, meat/seafood and health and beauty departments’ worked off the clock, including work performed before and after their scheduled shifts, and during meal breaks for which they had clocked out. By doing so, the employer incurred overtime violations when the unpaid time occurred in workweeks of more than 40 hours. The employer’s failure to keep accurate time records also resulted in a recordkeeping violation.

“Employers need to track work hours carefully and accurately to ensure they pay employees all the hard-earned wages they deserve,” said Wage and Hour Division Deputy Regional Administrator Richard Longo in San Francisco. “Work performed before or after a scheduled shift must be recorded and paid for. Other employers should use the results of this investigation to review their own practices to ensure they comply with the law.”

Headquartered in Phoenix, Sprouts Farmers Market employs 30,000 workers at 300 locations across 20 states. The Irvine store employs 118 workers.

The division 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 and confidential calls to local Wage and Hour Division offices. Learn more about the FLSA. Contact the Wage and Hour Division toll-free at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) for more information.