U.S. Dept. of Labor: Upstate restaurant chain denied overtime pay for workers

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The United States Department of Labor (DOL) said Tipsy Taco, a popular restaurant chain in the Upstate, failed to pay over 200 employees in overtime.

The DOL said investigators found that Tipsy Taco did not pay the half-time premium to cooks, servers and bar employees for hours over 40 in a workweek, an overtime violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The employer also failed to keep accurate records for workers.

According to the Department of Labor, more than $567,000 in back wages were recovered for 215 workers.

“As food service industry employers struggle to find people to fill the jobs needed to remain competitive, they should remember that keeping and finding workers is harder for employers who don’t respect workers’ rights and shortchange them of their full wages,” said Wage and Hour District Director Jamie Benefiel in Columbia, South Carolina. “Overtime violations are common in the restaurant industry, but they shouldn’t be. There are more than enough resources available to employers to help them understand their obligations to employees under the law.”

Here’s a list of the locations that were investigated:

• 215 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615 – Headquarters
• 15 Conostee Ave., Greenville, SC 29605
• 728 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29609
• 102 Southern Center Way, Easley, SC 29642
• 14180 E. Wade Hampton Blvd., Greer, SC 29651
• 702 Fairview Road, Simpsonville, SC 29680

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