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Pricy Beverly Hills Sushi Spot Urasawa Fined For Labor Violations
Fresh fish at Urasawa (Photo by takaokun via Flickr)
Urasawa is without a doubt the ultimate sushi destination in Los Angeles, where fans of freshly sliced raw fish and other Japanese delicacies make once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimages to shell out hundreds of dollars per person for an amazing sushi experience. Now the Beverly Hills restaurant is the one shelling out the big bucks, this time in fines and back wages stemming from labor violations.
Today it was announced that Urasawa has been ordered to pay $65,785 in fines and unpaid wages to settle a complaint brought by the state Labor Commissioner, according to City News Service.
An investigation behind the scenes at the small Beverly Hills sushi restaurant found
that kitchen staff regularly worked more than 10 hours each day without overtime pay, rest breaks or meal breaks, according to California Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su. Additionally, Urasawa's management failed to provide its eight workers with itemized wage statements listing hours worked and rate of pay, as required by law, Su said.
Those employees are now due $38,585 in unpaid wages and Urasawa must also pay $27,200 in penalties.
At Urasawa, the average check will set you back a mere $1,111, making it one of the most expensive restaurants in America.
Regarding the settlement, a rep for Urasawa has declined to comment.
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