Bay Area residents probably frequent local supermarkets to pick up a weekly supply of food and other household supplies. While most shoppers may think that an employee is properly paid for his or her hard work, this assumption is not always true. Recently, one supermarket was found to be in violation of laws meant to protect employees, including wage and hour violations.
The details of the violations were recently made public after the Department of Labor determined that several hard-working employees had been wronged by the company. Employees were paid a salary instead of an hourly wage. Unfortunately, the salary did not equate to the minimum wage when investigators calculated their labor hours versus a standard hourly wage.
The supermarket was also found to be guilty of cooking the books, as they failed to record cash payments issued to employees instead of receiving standard paychecks. Employees who have been improperly paid will receive back pay of over $10,000 each. Representatives of the Department of Labor also note that employers can obtain resources to ensure that the rights of their employees are not violated in the future.
If a Bay Area employee suspects that he or she is the victim of wage and hour violations, he or she may want to hold his or her employer legally and financially responsible for the wrongdoing. In such cases, an employee may not know how to get the ball rolling. It may be a good idea to contact an experienced attorney, who may be able to help an employee ensure that he or she is properly compensated for his or her hard work.
