Restaurants are paying to correct violations

Two Broward eateries failed to pay workers minimum wage, overtime

Two Broward County restaurants are paying thousands of dollars to correct violations of federal minimum wage, overtime and record-keeping laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division on Friday announced results of investigations of South China Restaurant, 5550 S. Flamingo Road, Cooper City, and Lallo’s Restaurant, 1400 N. State Road 7, Lauderhill.

South China Restaurant will pay eight employees $88,074 after an investigation found it paid employees — including servers, bussers and cooks — weekly or monthly salaries with no regard to how many hours they actually worked, according to a news release.

Those salaries failed to provide the employees with the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, as well as overtime when the employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, the release said.

The department also found South China Restaurant failed to record the number of hours worked by cooks, and did not post the required Fair Labor Standards Act poster to inform employees of their rights under the law, resulting in record-keeping violations, the release said.

Lallo’s, a Caribbean restaurant, has paid $17,443 in back wages and liquidated damages to 25 employees.

Investigators found the restaurant paid a tipped employee a cash wage below $7.25 an hour, and the employee received no tips.

A cashier was paid an hourly

rate less than $7.25 an hour, while a third employee received no pay at all for a final week of work, the release said.

Lallo’s also paid straight time rates, in cash and off the books, for hours exceeding 40 in a week, the release said. The restaurant also paid $11,555 in civil penalties “for the willful nature of the violations,” the release said.

“Employers must pay their employees for all the hours they work,” the release quoted Wage and Hour Division District Director Tony Pham as saying. “Our efforts ensure that payments not only benefit the workers, but also help to level the playing field for employers who play by the rules.”

The state Division of Corporations website lists South China Restaurant’s officers as Michael and Edward Lee. The company was formed in 1985.

Lallo’s owner is listed as Lallos441, LLC of Jersey City, New Jersey, and its manager is Michael Sims of Fort Lauderdale.

Phone messages left for owners or managers of the two restaurants were not returned Friday.

Information on employers’ responsibilities and employees’ rights — as well as how to file a complaint — can be found at the division’s website: dol.gov/whd.