With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA Korean BBQ Chain Hit With $2.1 Million Fine For Wage Theft
Prime galbi at Genwa in Los Angeles. (T. Tseng via Flickr)
()
Los Angeles is famed for outstanding Korean BBQ, but workers' advocates say working conditions at many of these restaurants are poor.
Now the state has cracked down on one chain in a major way.
The California Labor Commissioner's Office has issued a $2.1 million fine to the couple that owns the Genwa restaurants after determining they had stolen wages from 325 of their workers.
The state's investigation found that staff at the Mid-Wilshire and Beverly Hills locations were forced to go off the clock for one hour up to three times a day during an 11-hour shift. Other violations, according to the state:
- No rest or meal breaks as required by law
- Failure to pay nearly half of the workers the required minimum hourly wage
- Shorting more than half of the employees on overtime pay and not providing itemized wage statements
- Forcing servers to attend quarterly meetings without pay, even on days off.
"Requiring restaurant workers to leave and return to work without proper split shift premiums is wage theft," Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower said in a statement. "This wage theft tactic and other labor law violations undermine workers and provide an unfair advantage over law-abiding restaurant employers."
Support for LAist comes from
Genwa's corporate officers Jay and Jin Kwon are ordered to pay $1.4 million for wage violations affecting servers, dishwashers and cooks, as well as another $634,000 in civil penalties.
The Kwons have appealed the citations, according to the state.
The state investigation started in August 2018 after workers reported they were missing hours to the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance and Bet Tzedek legal services.
A third Genwa location in downtown L.A. was not part of the citations.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead. -
The program is for customers in communities that may not be able to afford turf removal or water-saving upgrades.
Best of LAist