Restaurant Owners Bulletin: The U.S. Department of Labor admits to a nationwide initiative focusing on the food service industry to enforce hiring rules and regulations.
(STL.News) Attention Restaurant Owners: Recently, we published an article in which the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) quotes, “These investigations are part of an ongoing food service industry initiative to identify wage violators, recover back wages, and, when appropriate, assess damages and civil money penalties.”
As we publish news, we monitor the Department of Labor’s website, and there is a pattern of enforcement action taken against restaurants across the nation. These violations often lead to audits by other government agencies, such as the IRS, because they often include additional violations that might be considered crimes.
Keep this in mind while operating your establishment. Staffing is an issue, and the Department knows there are many violators, so they are focusing on this business sector. If you are not familiar with the proper hiring practices required by the government and state, consult with an attorney who specializes in this area of the law. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Labor website has a lot of information relating to this topic and many others.
While any business needs to keep its employees happy, it is more critical to maintain good relations with staff to avoid them turning against the employer and reporting their violations. However, following the rules and regulations is the best course of action.
We are not attorneys, nor are we offering any legal advice. This is news made available to the public. We believe restaurant owners can learn from the mistakes made by others.
CLICK HERE to read other articles relating to enforcement by the DOL.
