US Department of Labor recovers $56K for 35 employees of Los Angeles restaurant that illegally allowed manager to take portions of tips

Summary:

BBQ Ookook Inc., operating as Oo-Kook Korean BBQ, a restaurant in Los Angeles, has been investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division for violating federal labor laws. The investigation found that the employer allowed a manager to take a portion of customer tips, in violation of tip pool requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer was found to have kept over $28,000 in workers' tips between April 2021 and October 2022. This is the third time the division has found the employer in violation of federal labor laws, resulting in a total recovery of $69,756 in back wages and liquidated damages, as well as $10,103 in civil money penalties.