Many workplaces underpay their workers either as a covert attempt to save money or because of simple errors. Those who are affected are entitled to get proper payments through the legal process.

A location for a large fast food chain in Conway Arkansas is being made to pay thousands of dollars in unpaid wages to employees.

Sonic made incorrect payments for several months

The restaurant in question is the Sonic on Harkrider Street in Conway. The Department of Labor started to formally investigate payment practices at the location after an employee consistently found errors in her pay and reported them. She initially gave documentation to the department about 8 months earlier after she felt that the continuous pattern of incorrect payments made her think something was seriously wrong.

After the employee got their attention with her pay statements, the Department of Labor did a full audit of the location's finances going back two years. They found that approximately $12,000 in back wages were owed between all 41 employees on the restaurant's payroll. The employee who first reported the situation was given $410 in missing wages. Employees were also notified regarding their rights and given resources to report various labor and employment law violations.

This particular Sonic location was a franchise rather than owned by the company's corporate headquarters. This meant that the owner had to pay the missing wages out of his own money. At the time of the report, the owner had submitted the required amount to the Arkansas Department of Labor and they were in the process of making payments to the affected employees.

The state encouraged workers to check all of their pay statements and keep their own records of the number of hours they have worked. They also provided information related to apps and online tools that will do most of the calculations.

Even though the error was made by a franchise, Sonic's corporate office did comment on the situation. They said that they are aware of the matter and the location in question retained an outside company to handle all of their payroll operations after the incident. They claim that these actions should prevent any future issues.

Sonic concluded with a general statement about their locations and the number of customers they serve in communities around the country.

Unpaid wage claims

All employers have to pay their employees correctly. If they do not, they can face lawsuits, investigations by labor boards, and negative publicity. Because unpaid wages are a common issue, some attorneys dedicate their practice to helping workers in similar situations.

Get help from a local lawyer

There are lawyers who help workers with employment issues throughout the state of Arkansas listed on USAttorneys.com.

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