Kitchen staff sue restaurant for minimum wage violations

Nine employees of restaurant located just outside of Chicago have filed a time and attendance lawsuit for unpaid wage violations. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the lawsuit was filed as a result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The agency found that those employed by the defendant to work in the kitchen were paid a salary that was less than the hourly federal minimum wage standard. Additionally, these workers were also denied overtime pay for hours worked above the standard of 40.

The Fair Labor Standards Act has set the minimum wage amount at $7.25 per hour. As of January 1, 2013, the Illinois Department of Labor set the state's minimum wage at $8.25 per hour. Both laws also call for time-and-one-half payments as overtime compensation.

According to the report, the plaintiffs involved in the suit, which was filed on May 5, are seeking liquidated monetary damages of an unspecified amount. When contacted about the claims, the defendant maintained that he did not violate the FLSA because his employees are fairly compensated with respect to both minimum wage and overtime payments.


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