Fusion Japanese Steakhouse ordered to pay back wages
A local Japanese steakhouse will have to pay back wages to its employees following a judgment in federal court.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Labor, the owners of Fusion Japanese Steakhouse at Trinity Point Drive, South Strabane Township, has been ordered to pay $1.45 million to current and former employees.
Fusion also has locations in Triadelphia, W.Va., and Vienna, W.Va. The restaurants are owned by Yuan Zheng Xiao and Christine Xiao.
According to the release, investigators found that Fusion paid employees off the books and denied overtime pay. Of the $1.45 million, $725,000 will be for back wages while the other half is for liquidated damages.
For the Washington location, 57 employees are due a total of $421,352.
The Department of Labor asks that anyone who may have worked at Fusion between October 2014 and October 2017 to contact the Pittsburgh office at 412-395-4996.
According to the release, the restaurants and Yuan Zheng Xiao have had to pay back wages on three prior occasions in 2010, 2011 and 2012 following investigations into the business. The Department of Labor said they violated minimum wage, overtime and recordkeeping regulations.
The judgment was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.