San Antonio sushi restaurant ordered to pay $81,000 in wage violations

The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $81,308 in back wages for 33 employees of Sushi Haya, a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, operated by Hongwei Sushi LLC. A federal investigation revealed that the business engaged in illegal tip-sharing and overtime violations.

Investigators found that the restaurant was sharing employee tips with company executives, which is prohibited under federal law. These violations invalidated the restaurant's tip credit, necessitating the return of tips and the payment of the full federal minimum wage to affected staff. Additionally, some employees were paid a flat salary without receiving required overtime pay for working more than 40 hours per week. In addition to the back wages, the business was assessed a $1,980 civil penalty.