Employer: Heine Brothers Inc.
Investigation site: 1301 W. Main St.
Louisville, KY 40203
Investigation findings: U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigators found the operator of a Louisville coffee shop redistributed tips improperly and diverted workers’ tips to managers. Heine Brothers also failed to keep a record for tips, specifically pennies which it mandated be donated to a charity, violations of minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Back Wages and Liquidated Damages Assessed: The agency recovered $150,000 in back wages for 492 workers and an equal amount in liquidated damages.
Quote: “The Wage and Hour Division is committed to protecting the rights of workers and ensuring that they receive all the hard-earned wages they rely on to make ends meet,” said Wage and Hour Division District Office Director Karen Garnett-Civils in Louisville, Kentucky. “In this case, our collaboration with the National Conference of Fireman and Oilers provided important help in our efforts to protect the rights of nearly 500 workers whose employer denied them their full wages.”