Press Release  Boston Grocery Store Agrees to Pay Back Workers Following Wage Violations

Boston — A Boston grocery store and its president have agreed to pay $183,800 in restitution and penalties, including back wages for 56 workers, for violating state wage and hour laws, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The AG’s Office issued citations against Jia Ho Supermarket in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood and its president Qian Wang for failing to make timely payment of wages, provide a suitable pay slip, and post minimum wage and earned sick time notices.

The AG’s Office began investigating after making a repeat compliance visit to Jia Ho, during which investigators discovered the grocery store had not posted the required earned sick time or minimum wage notices provided during an earlier visit. The investigation revealed that Jia Ho also failed to pay premium pay for Sunday work and issue paystubs that listed all information required by law.

Massachusetts law requires most retailers to pay premium pay for work performed on Sundays and certain legal holidays.  Employers must provide every employee with a suitable paystub that lists the rate of compensation, number of hours worked, pay period, and any payroll deductions. Employers also must post the minimum wage and earned sick time notices, which employers may obtain from the AG’s Office free of charge.  

AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division is responsible for enforcing state laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage, earned sick time and overtime laws. Workers who believe their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to file a complaint at www.mass.gov/ago/wagetheft. For information about the state’s wage and hour laws, workers may call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at 617-727-3465 or go to the Attorney General’s new Workplace Rights website www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor for materials in multiple languages.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Kate Watkins and Investigator Lili Wu.

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