Cilantro Mexican Grill to pay over $100k to underpaid workers
By News Staff
Cilantro Mexican Grill is forced to pay over $100,000 in wages and damages to some of its employees after a U.S. Labor Department investigation.
Investigation showed that the restaurant chain paid cooks and servers straight time instead of legally-required time and a half when they worked over 40 hours per week.
The employer either entered overtime using a different payroll code, failed to combine hours worked at multiple locations when those hours exceeded 40 per week, or paid straight time for overtime in cash. These actions are in violation of the overtime and recordkeeping requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
The company, CMG Holding, now owes more than $100,000 to 32 of those underpaid employees.
Investigation revealed that the restaurant chain also employed three minors, one age 16 and two age 17, at its North Providence and Cranston locations, who were using their own cars to make food deliveries which is in violation of the child labor provisions of the FLSA. It has since ceased that practice.
Cilantro has locations in Coventry, Providence, Rumford, North Providence, Newport, Warwick, and Cranston.
“While Cilantro Mexican Grill took action to correct its violations, they should not have occurred in the first place. Rhode Island employers must realize that underpaying workers harms not only the workers but also places at a competitive disadvantage those employers who obey the law. They must also understand that illegally employing minors in potentially risky jobs that are prohibited by the child labor laws needlessly places young workers at risk of injury, and will not be tolerated.” said Michelle Garvey, the division’s district director for Rhode Island and Connecticut.
© WLNE-TV 2015
