Article courtesy of Payne Financial Benefits Buzz newsletter, January 2012 issue.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division is in the process of investigating full-service restaurants for unlawful pay practices.

The ongoing enforcement initiative has found widespread noncompliance with the minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FSLA). The aim is to level the playing field for the many employers who do abide by the law.

The division has already assessed monetary penalties against employers for willful and repeated FSLA violations.