Raymonds pays back their employees.
Raymonds Restaurant in Montclair and Ridgewood has been ordered to pay a total of $325,534 split between the two Raymonds; the Montclair location was ordered to pay $225,486 and the Ridgewood location $100,048. These charges are to be split among 160 employees combined with $100,048 to 84 employees in Ridgewood, and 76 employees at the Montclair location are to receive $225,486 in back wages, tips and overtime.
The result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Northern New Jersey Wage and Hour District Office found the incorrect pay for staff at the two restaurants. Raymonds of Montclair and Ridgewood are co-owned by Raymond Badach and Joann Ricci. Joann Ricci became a partner in 2004, with the Ridgewood location opening in 2012.
According to sources, they are in the process of making payments to the employees. Raymonds failed to pay overtime and back wages to its kitchen staff and tipped workers in Ridgewood. In Montclair, overtime and back wages totaled $225,486.
“The back wages cover employees compensations from April 1, 2012 to March 31,” said John Warner, who heads the North Jersey District Office. “Restaurant workers struggle to make ends meet.”
According to Federal Law, workers who work more than 40 hours a week must be paid overtime. Employees are protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Salaried employees are exempt from the overtime pay rule.
Montclair residents had many responses to the news of the improper pay: “Awful,” said one resident. “I worked in restaurants when I was in college. A lot of non-chain restaurants had serious violations. Many of them lived very well off the backs of their employees.”
“I suspect wage violations like this are more prevalent than most think,” said another resident. “I know of at least one other successful Church Street store that had quite a reputation for such behavior.”
“I like Raymonds and their food,” said a Montclair resident. “[I] never had a problem with the service, either. I was surprised to hear the news because they have a lot of long term employees. That’s usually a sign, in the restaurant business, that it’s a decent place to work and treating its employees fairly.”
An employee reporting the restaurant to the authorities or a routine compliance check could have led to this catch, but Raymonds is definitely on the radar now! I suspect that some of the other restaurants have taken notice and will change their ways.
Sources: Facebook, Patch, Montclair Watercooler Connection.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login