Jessica Looman, acting administrator of the Department of Labor's
Wage and Hour Division, said during the webinar, the DOL finds
more wage and hours violations in food service than in any other
industry. According to OFW's data, 46% of restaurant workers
reported their employers did not pay time-and-a-half when
working overtime. More than a third of surveyed workers said their
tips did not bring their wages up to the minimum wage.
Looman emphasized the DOL's role in punishing wage theft, citing
an incident in Framingham, Massachusetts, where the Wage and
Hour Division recovered $307,000 in back wages for 14 workers at
a single pizzeria. Another potential case was brought up during the
event when a New York restaurant worker complained he was
expected to work 13-hour shifts without breaks.
Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage, said 2021 has seen
"a real uptick in violations," assertions backed by the nonprofit's
survey where 34% of respondents said they experienced more
violations of their rights in 2021 than 2020.
OFW argues these issues, among many other labor concerns, are
driving restaurant workers to leave the industry, which is already
struggling with retention. At least 54% of workers in restaurants
have considered leaving their jobs, OFW said, with more than
three-quarters saying they would stay for a higher wage.
The industry, by some measures, employs a million fewer workers
than before the pandemic. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, upwards of 40,000 workers left the food service industry
in August, the first net job loss for restaurants in 2021.
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said during the webinar the
pandemic's economic shock hit restaurant workers especially hard.
"They're disproportionately women and workers of color," Walsh
said. "The economic downturn, combined with conditions in the