Restaurant pays $28,000 in back pay and civil penalties after shorting workers
A Lauderhill restaurant got caught so blatantly violating federal wage laws that not only did the establishment pay $17,443 in back pay it owed to 25 workers, it also paid $11,555 in civil penalties, the Department of Labor announced Friday.
The civil penalties were for “the willful nature of the violations” at Lallo’s Restaurant by its operator, Lallos441 LLC. Lallos441 is a New Jersey company managed out of Fort Lauderdale by Michael Sims, according to its registration on Sunbiz.org.
Labor’s Wage and Hour Division investigators found Lallo’s, 1400 N. State Rd. 7, violated federal wage laws by:
▪ Paying a worker a cash wage under the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, although the worker didn’t receive any tips.
▪ Not paying someone for their final workweek.
▪ Paying a cashier less than the minimum wage.
▪ Recording only each employee’s first 40 hours. When they worked more than 40 hours, instead of overtime pay, workers were paid straight time in cash off the books.
No one at Lallo’s could immediately be reached for comment.
Employers who want to make sure they’re in compliance can visit Wage and Hour Division offices, call offices confidentially or check Fair Labor Standards Act compliance videos. To self-report violations without litigation, employers can go through the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program.
Lallo’s most recent state restaurant inspections were May 6 and May 7. Though the restaurant wasn’t closed after the May 6 inspection, it had enough violations — including no hot water at the handwashing sink or the three-compartment sink — a re-inspection was required May 7. Lallo’s passed that.
This story was originally published August 9, 2019 at 7:25 PM.
