After a U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation, almost $75,000 in back pay will be paid to workers and former employees of Joey’s New York Pizza. Government documents say that cooks were not given overtime pay – just a flat weekly salary, no matter how many hours they worked. The Department of Labor documents also say that servers were underpaid. The investigation was done at the company’s two New Port Richey restaurants as well as one in Palm Harbor.
Wage and Hour Division District Director Nicolas Ratmiroff encourages anyone who feels they haven’t been paid overtime to reach out for help, saying “Too often, we find workers wrongly denied overtime simply because the employer believes paying them a flat salary covers their obligation. Workers or employers with questions can call us and speak directly and confidentially with a trained wage and hour professional to get answers to their questions, or to file a complaint.” You can reach them at 866-4US-WAGE (866-487-9243).
You can also do a search through the department’s online database to see if you’re already owed money. Whether you worked for this pizza chain or another company the Wage and Hour Division has investigated, there may be back pay waiting for you. It’s worth doing the search. [Source: Department of Labor]