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An L.A.-based chain of sushi and ramen restaurants has been ordered to pay over $621,000 in back pay and damages to chefs and other workers. According to the U.S. Labor Department, Cerritos-based Gatten Sushi and sister company GTN—which runs Yushoken ramen shops—cheated nearly 400 workers out of overtime pay, reports the Associated Press. They swindled employees working at 11 restaurants owned by the chain across Los Angeles and Orange counties. Federal investigators found that bosses docked workers' pay regularly for 10-minute breaks and shaved hours off their timecards.
Some of the sushi chefs at the conveyor belt sushi restaurants often worked 90 hours per week without seeing any overtime pay.
Chefs, servers and kitchen staff are entitled to back wages as part of the settlement. The chain will also have to pay $156,640 in civil penalties.
