There’s never a good time to cheat your workers out of their hard-earned pay. Having said that, now’s an even worse time to do it. Cities, states and the feds are getting more aggressive—and are working more closely—in nailing companies that play fast and loose with employee wages. And restaurants are one of their prime targets.
“The urgency of addressing this issue has become more pronounced because we’re seeing these illegal business practices used by more and more industries, like restaurants,” Nancy Leppink, head of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, told the Associated Press. The number of cases, the amount of penalties and the number of employees involved have all skyrocketed in 2011, and the year’s not over yet.
| Year | Cases | Back wages | Employees |
| 2007 | 4,469 | $17,432,805 | 27,661 |
| 2008 | 3,942 | $18,917,992 | 23,433 |
| 2009 | 3,818 | $17,016,109 | 24,375 |
| 2010 | 3,759 | $16,415,519 | 23,042 |
| 2011 | 5,161 | $24,460,222 | 46,125 |
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