Over the weekend, Sushi Haya responded to a DOL investigation that the agency publicized on Wednesday, September 23. The federal probe concluded that the business, located at 226 W. Bitters Road, was responsible for operating an illegal tip pool and committing a number of overtime violations, resulting in a payout of $81,308 in back wages.
In a social media statement, Sushi Haya directly addressed the findings and apologized to customers who may have been concerned about the investigation.
“Recent reports concern past matters. All required corrective actions were completed by January 2026. The tip issue involved an owner-manager who, due to staffing shortages, also worked as a server and received tips. Those tips were redistributed as required. The overtime issue concerned calculations for certain salaried employees. Their overtime pay was recalculated using the method required by the Department of Labor, and all resulting amounts were paid,” the restaurant wrote in an Instagram post.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers, managers and supervisors are prohibited from receiving tips from a tip pool, though they may receive tips directly from customers for services they provide. Regarding the overtime violations, federal law requires non-exempt employees covered by the FLSA to receive time-and-a-half pay for overtime worked, whether they are paid hourly, by commission or on salary.
“We have corrected these issues and complied with the Department of Labor’s requirements. We thank our employees, customers, and community for their continued support and understanding,” the sushi spot wrote in its Instagram statement.
MySA previously reached out to Sushi Haya when the DOL investigation was published, but to date, the business has not responded directly to our request for comment.