US Department of Labor recovers $320K in back wages, damages for 59 employees of restaurant in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood

Summary:

A Boston restaurant, SOJUba, has agreed to pay $320,000 in back wages, liquidated damages, and punitive damages to 59 current and former employees to resolve Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. The US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigation found that the restaurant failed to inform workers of their cash wage and tip credit, included ineligible workers in the tip pool, and denied minimum wage to certain employees. The investigation also revealed that the restaurant did not maintain accurate payroll records, paid employees below minimum wage for certain hours worked, and retaliated against workers who cooperated with the investigation. The violations resulted in SOJUba paying $147,500 in back wages, $147,500 in liquidated damages, and $25,000 in punitive damages, as well as a $40,000 civil money penalty.