The U.S. Department of Labor recovers $129,000 in tips and damages for employees deprived of full earnings by Vancouver Pizza Franchise Operator Round Table Pizza.
The restaurant also assessed $28K in penalties for willful tip pool violations.
VANCOUVER, WA (STL.News) The U.S. Department of Labor released the following information about Round Table Pizza in Vancouver, Washington.
Employer: Investier LLC, operating as Round Table Pizza – 5016 NE Thurston Way, Vancouver, WA 98684
Investigation findings: A U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigation found the owner of a Round Table Pizza restaurant unlawfully kept a portion of the tips earned by workers by allowing managers to participate in the restaurant’s tip pool, a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Federal law forbids employers or managers from keeping employees’ tips for any purpose.
Back Wages Recovered: $64,681 in unpaid tips for 52 employees
- $64,681 in liquidated damages for 52 employees
- $28,548 in civil money penalties for the willful nature of the violations
Quote: “Many restaurant employers continue to shortchange vulnerable workers by using the tips they receive to supplement managers’ and supervisors’ salaries,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Katherine Walum in Portland, Oregon. “We are determined to stop these unlawful schemes. As Round Table Pizza has learned, wage theft in any form has costly consequences for employers.”
Background: In fiscal year 2023, the division successfully recovered over $29.6 million in back wages for nearly 26,000 food service workers nationwide and assessed $6.1 million in civil money penalties in the food services industry.
Investier LLC owns and operates 14 Round Table Pizza franchise locations in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.
