SAN FRANCISCO More than 140 restaurant operators across California were issued more than $844,000 in fines last week in a crackdown on labor violations, including the failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance.
Investigators from the California Labor Commissioner’s Office said they conducted 245 inspections in 26 counties across the state on Jan. 21 and 22, and cited 143 restaurant industry employers for labor law violations. Of those, 129 were cited for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance, which is required in the state.
Most of the operators were independent restaurants, ranging from Paradise Grill in Roseville, Calif., which was forced to pay $34,000, to Big Moma’s Fish & Stuff in Oroville, Calif., which was cited for $1,000. Locations of chain operators, including Wahoo’s Fish Tacos, Subway and Baskin Robbins were also on the list of violators.
Other charges included failing to pay minimum wage or overtime, failing to provide itemized deductions to employees, and not abiding by child labor laws for minors under age 18.
“We issued penalties of $676,000 to employers who failed to carry workers’ compensation during this enforcement action,” said Angela Bradstreet, the state’s Labor Commissioner. “All businesses must provide workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. If they continue to operate without the proper coverage, we will refer the case to the local district attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution.”
Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected].
