Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Six low-wage workers at Pickwick Restaurant in Park Ridge will receive a total of $35,000 in unpaid overtime wages and damages as directed by a consent judgment after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division determined the business had violated the overtime pay provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The Labor Department and restaurant owner George Paziotopoulos agreed to the consent judgment in federal district court in Chicago. The investigation covered various pay periods beginning in 2002. Payments to the six workers must be completed by Feb. 18, 2008.

“The Labor Department is committed to ensuring that all workers receive all wages they have earned,” said Thomas A. Gauza, director of the Wage and Hour Division’s Chicago District Office.

The FLSA requires employees to be paid the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, and time and one-half their regular rates of pay for hours worked over 40 in a week unless an employee is exempt from overtime pay. Employers must also maintain accurate time and payroll records.

The Wage and Hour Division concluded 31,987 compliance actions and recovered more than $171 million in back wages for more than 246,000 employees in fiscal year 2006. Back-wage collections in fiscal year 2006 represent a 30 percent increase over back wages collected in fiscal year 2001. The number of workers receiving back wages has increased by 14 percent since fiscal year 2001.

For more information, call the Department of Labor’s toll-free helpline at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243). Information is also available on the Internet at www.wagehour.dol.gov. Information about the current exemption for white collar executive, administrative and professional employees can be found on the Internet at www.dol.gov/fairpay.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7828 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.