President Obama wants to expand rules governing overtime pay. But even workers who are currently entitled to overtime aren't always getting what they deserve. Restaurants are among the most common violators, and IHOP franchises alone have had to pay out back wages in at least 150 cases since 2000.
In one case in 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor found local IHOP franchises in Wichita and Hays, Kansas, had violated overtime laws in paying 35 employees. Cooks and one manager were paid salaries with no additional overtime, bus-persons and dishwashers were paid in cash at their regular pay rate instead of time and a half, and servers were paid an incorrect tip overtime rate. Those franchises were forced to pay out more than $64,000 in back wages.