Medford Restaurant Owes Back Wages

Not Your Average Joe's in Medford is one of over 30 restaurants in the state that owes a total of 478 employees back wages, according to a labor press release.

The Federal Department of Labor has discovered more than $1.3 million in owed salary to restaurant employees, the release said.

The violators underpaid employees by giving them flat salaries for all hours worked without overtime pay, failing to combine hours worked at multiple locations for overtime purposes, paying incorrect overtime rates to tipped employees, making illegal deductions from employees' wages and failing to keep accurate records of employees' hours, the press release said. It did not specify which violations occurred at specific locations.

The Not Your Average Joe's in Medford was one of 15 of the chain of casual dining restaurants that was found in violation, the press release said.

"The restaurant industry employs some of our country's lowest paid workers, who are vulnerable to exploitation," Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis said in a written statement. "In response to the extensive level of noncompliance we discovered, we will expand our efforts to bring the industry into compliance to ensure that employees receive the minimum wage and overtime wages required by law."

Correction: A previous version of this story said a total of 478 restaurants in the state owe back wages. A total of 478 employees are owed wages.