A Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in Philadelphia has paid $116,308 in back wages for 82 workers after federal investigators found wage and overtime violations linked to pre-shift meetings, the Department of Labor said this week.
The department’s wage and hour division also assessed a $68,060 civil penalty against the subsidiary of Dallas-based Brinker International Inc. after investigators found the violations “as willful.”
The Center City Philadelphia restaurant is owned by Maggiano’s Holding Corp., a unit of Brinker International, which also owns and franchises more than 1,600 restaurants, including Chili’s Grill & Bar.
The federal wage and hour division determined the Maggiano’s unit failed to pay workers for time they spent attending pre-shift meetings.
“Maggiano’s Little Italy required dining room servers to attend 15- to 30-minute meetings before the start of their scheduled shifts,” the department said. “When employees worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, this unpaid time triggered overtime violations.”
James Cain, director for the wage and hour Philadelphia district, said in a statement: “When employers fail to account for all hours employees work, they deprive workers of their hard-earned wages.
“Other employers should use the outcome of this investigation as an opportunity to review their own pay practices, and ensure they comply with the law,” Cain said.
Contac Ron Ruggless at [email protected]
Follow him on Twitter: @RonRuggless
