North Charleston caterer pays $22K in back wages to workers after US Department of Labor finds overtime violations

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – While a North Charleston catering facility relied on the hard work of its hourly workers to make their guests’ weddings and special events memorable, a recent U.S. Department of Labor investigation found 18 workers had less to celebrate when their employer failed to pay them $22,970 in overtime they had earned.

U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators determined Crazy Dutchman Catering LLC violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying straight-time rates for overtime hours employees worked at catered events. The employer tracked hours employees worked at their establishment with a time clock, but failed to record the number of hours employees worked at events off site. Instead, Crazy Dutchman paid workers flat rates per event, regardless of the number of hours they worked. By doing so, the employer failed to pay workers overtime when their work time spent at offsite events combined with their work at the employer’s establishment exceeded 40 in a workweek.

In addition to recovering the overtime back wages for the workers, the division found Crazy Dutchman’s failure to keep a record of the number of hours the employees worked at catered events violated FLSA recordkeeping requirements.

“Workers in the food service industries are among the most vulnerable we see,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jamie Benefiel, in Columbia, South Carolina. “Workers, particularly those on the front lines who have kept us moving forward during a global pandemic, deserve to be paid every penny they have earned. The U.S. Department of Labor encourages all employers to contact their nearest Wage and Hour Division office for assistance with understanding their responsibilities under the law.”

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.