Federal officials recover nearly $733,000 in unpaid wages for 31 workers at Pompano Beach restaurant

Pompano Beach, Florida – Federal labor officials have recovered nearly $733,000 in wages for workers at a Pompano Beach restaurant following an investigation that found several violations of federal wage laws.

The U.S. Department of Labor said Lucky King LLC., the company operating Miyako Japanese Buffet in Pompano Beach, failed to properly pay employees for their work. The investigation found that workers were paid between $1,000 and $3,000 per month even though they often worked more than 40 hours a week.

The Labor Department said the restaurant also failed to pay the required minimum wage for all hours worked. In addition, the business did not maintain records showing how many hours its employees worked.

Federal officials determined that each of those violations went against requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

As a result, the Labor Department ordered Lucky King LLC. to pay $732,976 in recovered wages. The money will be divided among 31 workers who were affected by the wage violations.

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The findings highlight the importance of employers keeping accurate records of employees’ working hours and making sure workers receive the wages required under federal law. Employees who regularly work more than 40 hours in a week can also be entitled to additional pay under federal wage rules, depending on their circumstances.

In this case, investigators found that the restaurant’s monthly payment system did not properly account for the hours employees were working. Some workers were putting in more than 40 hours each week while receiving monthly amounts ranging from $1,000 to $3,000.

The Labor Department also found that the restaurant did not meet minimum wage requirements for the hours its employees worked. Without accurate records of working hours, officials said, the business also failed to meet federal recordkeeping obligations.

The nearly $733,000 recovery will now go to the 31 workers identified in the investigation. The payment represents wages the Labor Department determined were owed to employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

The case serves as another reminder that businesses covered by federal labor laws must properly track employees’ hours and pay them according to applicable wage requirements. Employers cannot simply rely on a fixed monthly payment when that arrangement results in workers receiving less than they are legally owed.

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For the employees involved at Miyako Japanese Buffet, the federal investigation has resulted in a significant recovery after the Labor Department found that their pay did not comply with federal standards.

The $732,976 payout is being shared among the 31 workers, bringing the average recovery to more than $23,000 per worker if divided evenly, although the actual amount each employee receives can vary based on the individual wage violations and hours involved.

The Labor Department’s findings centered on three main issues at the Pompano Beach restaurant: employees were paid monthly amounts despite frequently working more than 40 hours a week, minimum wage requirements were not met for all hours worked, and records of employees’ working hours were not properly maintained.

Together, those findings led to the federal wage recovery and the order requiring Lucky King LLC. to provide the money to the affected workers.