[SDCPJ] Fwd: New CPI/SDSU study finds wage theft in San Diego area restaurants

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From: "Clare Crawford, Center on Policy Initiatives" <cpi@onlinecpi.emailnb.com>
Date: June 17, 2015, 7:00
Subject: Shorted: New CPI/SDSU study finds wage theft in San Diego area restaurants

Center on Policy Initiatives   Yesterday CPI and San Diego State University released a new study on workplace conditions in the San Diego restaurant industry. The findings should be of concern to anyone who works or eats in restaurants. In the study, Shorted: Wage Theft, Time Theft and Discrimination in San Diego County Restaurant Jobs, we surveyed 337 employees of all kinds of restaurants, from fast food to fine dining, throughout the San Diego region. More than three-quarters of them reported their employers have illegally shorted them on wages or tips. A third said it happens on a regular basis. You can download the report, watch the press conference, and see initial media coverage at www.onlineCPI.org/shorted. Wage theft means withholding pay that is legally due to employees. The main forms reported in the survey were: Requiring unpaid off-the-clock work before or after shifts, Failing to pay overtime rates, Deducting from paychecks for damages or cash register shortages, Paying less than minimum wage, Sending workers home early without compensation, Diverting any part of workers' tips to managers. We also found other legal violations, such as preventing meal breaks or rest breaks, and widespread scheduling practices that rob employees of their personal time. This pilot study indicates a dire need for more research into the problems reported by San Diegans employed in the restaurant industry, and for stronger enforcement of the laws on the books. Our findings are consistent with other wage theft studies in Los Angeles and across the state of California that have identified the restaurant industry as one of the worst violators. Our report includes specific information on existing laws regarding wages and breaks, and we hope it will help inform employees of their rights. Please help us get the word out by sharing the report: www.onlineCPI.org/shorted, and in Spanish at www.onlineCPI.org/estafado. We also invite you to a community forum where the research team will discuss the findings. The presentation is at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 6, with pizza provided at 5:30. It will be at the Employee Rights Center, 4265 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 210, in San Diego. Thanks for your support of CPI. Sincerely, Clare Crawford, Executive Director Center on Policy Initiatives http://www.onlinecpi.org/ Center on Policy Initiatives · 3727 Camino Del Rio South, #100, San Diego, CA 92108, United States You can also keep up with Center on Policy Initiatives on Twitter or Facebook. Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders.