LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor found that three Las Vegas restaurants did not pay overtime to workers.
According to the department, three La Mojarra Loca restaurant locations did not pay required overtime rates for hours over 40 in a workweek, as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Additionally, the employer wrongly classified employees as exempt from overtime pay and paid them a flat salary regardless of hours.
The investigation focused on the locations on Maryland Parkway, Lamb Boulevard, and Lake Mead Boulevard. Investigators discovered infractions similar to those discovered at some of the locations in 2019, then again in 2022.
The investigation revealed that over $75,729 in overtime wages were withheld from 33 employees, and subsequently recovered. The employer was also hit with $9,058 in civil money penalties for the “reckless, repeated nature of the violations,” according to the department.
Previous investigations recovered around $450,000 for affected employees, and up to $34,000 in penalties.
“The operator of these La Mojarra Loca restaurants has continued to blatantly underpay and deprive employees of their hard-earned wages despite repeated investigations,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Gene Ramos in Las Vegas. “We are determined to do everything in our power under the law to stop the unacceptable practices of employers such as La Mojarra Loca.”
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