More than $63K recovered for workers after overtime, wage violations at southwest Austin restaurant

Investigators found Beto’s Restaurant and Bar failed to pay required overtime and made illegal deductions from tipped workers’ wages.

AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor said on Tuesday it recovered more than $63,000 in back wages and damages for eight employees after finding a southwest Austin restaurant violated federal wage laws.

Investigators found El Beto’s Tacos LLC – doing business as Beto’s Restaurant and Bar on West William Cannon Drive – failed to pay required overtime and made illegal deductions from tipped workers’ wages. The department recovered $63,645 for the employees.

On average, employees worked more than eight hours of overtime per week but were not paid time-and-a-half as required, the agency said. Investigators also found the employer failed to pay workers for duties performed after their shifts ended.

In addition, the employer deducted uniform costs from tipped employees’ wages, reducing their pay below the federal minimum wage.

The agency said workers and employers can contact the Wage and Hour Division at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) for compliance assistance. The agency’s PAID program allows employers to self-report and resolve potential minimum wage and overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as certain violations under the Family and Medical Leave Act.