The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor in Sacramento found that instead of paying overtime at time-and-a-half workers’ regular rates of pay, as the law requires, Alfonso’s Carniceria, Inc., doing business as Alfonso’s Meat Market, paid for overtime hours at straight-time rates, in cash, off the books, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also failed to pay cashiers, prep cooks and the butcher’s assistant for all the hours that they worked. In addition, the company paid two butchers flat salaries, without regard to how many hours they worked. This resulted in the employer failing to pay these workers overtime for hours they worked beyond 40 in a week. The firm also failed to maintain records required by the FLSA.

As a result of these violations, the market owner will pay $74,862 in back wages and an equal additional amount in liquidated damages totaling $149,724 to eight employees.