The state Department of Labor has announced that 110 Mystic Pizza employees will get more than $105,000 in back wages after a probe found they were paid less than the minimum wage and no overtime.
State Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer said investigators found that the owner of the landmark joint – for a which a movie, filmed elsewhere, was the breakout vehicle for Julia Roberts in 1988 – John Zelepos paid cooks, dishwashers and hosts as little as $5.69 an hour – than the required minimum wage of $8.70 an hour – and others received $7.40 an hour.
The investigation reviewed records from May 2012 to June 2014 and discov ered that employees worked up to 93 hours a week without overtime.
“In most cases, Zelepos paid the workers in cash for the additional hours worked and was not recording the correct amount of overtime,” according to a news release from Palmer’s office. Mystic Pizza is located at 56 West Main Street in Mystic and is not a subsidiary of Mystic Pizza II in North Stonington, the agency said.
“While there are many employers in our state paying their employees the proper wages, unfortunately, we find situations similar to this far too often,” noted Wage and Workplace Standards Director Gary K. Pechie. He said that an alleged alleged retaliation is also underway. The 110 workers will receive checks ranging from $30 to more than $15,000. “In total, the amount owed to the employees is $105,165.94. Zelepos must also pay an additional $23,400 in civil penalties for 155 violations of state statute Section 31-60 (minimum wage) and Section 31-76c (overtime),” the DOL reported.
“Every employee deserves to be paid the required amount for the work that they do, and this is a flagrant example of an employer taking advantage of their workforce,” Pechie said. “We encourage any individual who believes they have not been paid properly for hours worked to file a complaint with the Labor Department.” He noted that a complaint form can be downloaded from the agency’s website at www.ct.gov/dol or one can be mailed by calling 860-263-6790. Employers with questions regarding compliance with Connecticut wage laws are also encouraged to contact the agency and speak with wage staff for guidance.
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