A U.S. Department of Labor investigation into the pay and employment practices at 23 stores operated by Washington-based Rosauers Supermarkets has recovered more than $350,000 in back wages and damages for 602 employees and assessed penalties of more than $72,000 for the employer's violations.
The company operates stores under Rosauers Supermarkets, Super1Foods, and Huckleberry’s Natural Market.
The department’s Wage and Hour Division discovered that, in 16 stores, Rosauers Supermarkets did not pay employees for meal breaks less than 20 minutes long, as required, and failed to include evening premium pay, hazard pay, and non-discretionary bonuses in regular pay rates when calculating overtime wages.
The division also learned the employer violated federal child labor regulations by employing five minors, ages 16 and 17, to operate a powered scrap paper baler and paper box compactor at its Ridgefield, Washington store. Similar child labor violations were found in 10 stores in 1993.
“Too often, our investigators find grocery industry employers taking advantage of these essential workers by failing to pay them correctly,” said Wage and Hour Division district director Carrie Aguilar in Portland, Oregon, in a statement. “In addition to denying hundreds of employees pay for short meal breaks, Rosauers Supermarkets jeopardized the safety of children by employing them to illegally operate dangerous machines.”
Rosauers Supermarkets shared with SFA News Daily the following statement:
"This settlement is a result of an ongoing conversation with the Department of Labor that started in 2021 looking back 3 years.
We have policies in place to protect all our employees, especially any 16 and 17-year-olds we employ. One such policy prohibits minors from operating hazardous machinery. The infractions in question, when discovered, occurred at one store, and was quickly rectified, roughly two years ago. We have since taken even more steps to ensure our employees are safe through prevention, training, and awareness.
The vast majority of back wages in question resulted from payments regarding COVID appreciation and other bonuses. The bonuses were ruled as non-discretionary which causes the calculation of overtime to be treated differently. We have adjusted our calculations to include such bonuses and now align with the Dept of Labor regulations.... The Department of Labor exists to keep everyone safe and employed. We cooperated with them fully to be sure we were abiding by all rules and regulations."
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