FLSA Dispute: Bars Must Pay $51K Back Wages, $31K in Child-Labor Penalties
A federal court entered a consent order against three Cowbell sports bars in Biddeford,
Scarborough and Westbrook, ME, resolving a Department of Labor case alleging Fair Labor
Standards Act (FLSA) violations involving minimum wage, overtime and child labor.
FLSA Violations
The Wage and Hour Division alleged the bars failed to pay some employees for all hours
worked, altered timecards to conceal hours, did not combine hours worked across locations and misclassified some workers as exempt. At one location, two minors allegedly worked beyond permitted hours. The consent order requires:
- $51,775 in back wages for 47 employees
- $31,436 in civil money penalties
“Employers are required by law to pay non-exempt employees for all hours worked, including time-and-a-half pay for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek,” stated Wage and Hour Division District Director Steven McKinney in Manchester, New Hampshire.
When an employee works at more than one location, payroll should combine the hours for
purposes of the 40-hour overtime threshold to ensure FLSA compliance.
- Share on
Free Training & Resources
Further Reading
Hospitality employers in California take note: Several cities in The Golden State have minimum wage increases for hotel employees soon taki...
The Supreme Court has raised the standard on whether an employer can claim undue hardship in response to a religious accommodation request....
Because of the American Rescue Plan of 2021, more companies and gig workers will be receiving Form 1099-K, Payment Card and Third Party Net...
The U.S. Supreme Court has reached a decision in the case of a highly compensated employee who sued his employer for unpaid overtime. I...
Wage bases for 2026 are rolling out. You can ensure you’re accurately withholding for state unemployment insurance (UI) tax. Here’s...
It’s easy to take your company’s payroll technology for granted, that is, until something goes wrong. As your business grows and the ex...
