Waxy's Pub To Pay $125K To Resolve Wage Theft Allegations

BROOKLINE, MA — The owners and managers of Waxy's Modern Irish Pub will pay $125,000 in restitution and penalties to resolve allegations of wage theft and retaliation, the attorney general's office said Tuesday.

In addition to its Brookline location, Waxy's had locations in Woburn, Kingston and Foxborough. All but its Lexington restaurant have closed in recent years.

After getting tipped off by employees, investigators said managers at Waxy's "repeatedly bounced employee checks and paid workers beyond the statutorily required six-day period for timely payment of wages as far back as 2015," the office said in a news release.

"The investigation also revealed that the employers denied workers earned sick time, failed to pay the difference when employees’ tips and service rate pay did not bring them to the required minimum wage, and retaliated against certain employees who complained about the untimely payment of wages by removing those employees from the schedule permanently," the release continued.

The office issued 12 citations to the chain's operators, including its owners Paul McKenna and Ashok Patel and the hotel management company Jamsan Hotel Management Inc., which acted as a joint employer.

Patch staff Christopher Huffaker contributed to this report.