US Department of Labor recovers nearly $64K for 8 Austin restaurant workers denied overtime wages

News Release

US Department of Labor recovers nearly $64K for 8 Austin restaurant workers denied overtime wages

AUSTIN, TX - The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $63,645 for eight workers after an investigation found an area restaurant violated federal wage and hour laws.

The department's Wage and Hour Division found that El Beto's Tacos LLC - doing business as Beto's Restaurant and Bar - failed to pay for overtime hours worked and illegally deducted wages from tipped employees, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Division investigators determined that on average, employees worked over eight overtime hours weekly, but Beto's did not pay them the required overtime premium of time-and-one-half per hour. Additionally, the employer did not compensate workers for duties performed after completion of their shifts. The division also found that the employer deducted uniform expenses from the wages of tipped employees, resulting in the workers being paid less than the minimum wage for all hours worked.

"Wage violations, including failing to track and pay for all hours worked, continue to be a major concern for workers in the food services industry," said Wage and Hour Division Acting District Director Charles Frasier, in Houston, Texas. "The Wage and Hour Division offers assistance to employers to help them avoid these kinds of violations and will continue to assure that workers get all the pay they have earned."

Workers and employers can call the Wage and Hour Division with questions and requests for compliance assistance at its toll-free helpline, 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). The agency's PAID program offers employers an opportunity to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the FLSA, as well as certain potential violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Learn more about the Wage and Hour Division, including a search tool that workers can use if they think they may be owed back wages collected by the division. Download the agency's free timesheet app for iOS and Android devices to track hours and pay.