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Philadelphia Restaurant Agrees To Pay Employees Nearly $400,000 To Resolve Alleged Federal Wage Violations

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A Philadelphia restaurant will pay 63 workers a total of nearly $400,000 to resolve an alleged federal wage violations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Talula's Garden, in the Washington Square section of the city, will pay $197,917 in back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages for various violations, including forcing employees to work off-the-clock hours, according to the agreement reached on Monday.

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"The workers at Talula's Garden did not receive the required minimum wage and overtime pay," said Wage and Hour Division District Director James Cain. "Our agency is committed to ensuring that workers not only receive the wages they have rightfully earned, but that employers are provided all the tools they need to understand and comply with the law."

The Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division found the Washington Square Restaurant Partners LP, under the moniker of Talula's Garden, violated the overtime, minimum wage and record-keeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

According to investigation findings, line cooks were doing prep work prior to their shifts, which led to unpaid overtime work. Servers and bartenders also worked off-the-clock and without pay. The restaurant also failed to maintain accurate records of work hours for bartenders, servers, and line cooks, according to the investigation.

The agreement is part of a proposed consent judgment filed on Oct. 16, pending review and approval by a federal judge.

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