53.7 F
San Diego
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
-Advertisement-

Eateries Warned of Sweeps

An unannounced visit to a Hillcrest restaurant by the state Economic and Employment Coalition could be part of a statewide sweep making its way into San Diego, said a local hospitality official.

Steve Zolezzi, executive vice president of the Food & Beverage Association of San Diego said a visit to a small Hillcrest eatery happened April 19 at a time when only the employees, not the owner, were in.

Zolezzi declined to name the restaurant. It’s also unclear whether representatives of multiple state agencies were involved or that a full sweep is under way.

Zolezzi said he suspects the visit represents the beginning of a sweep, however, because agents working for the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Employment Development Department and the U.S. Department of Labor have made sweeps on companies, focusing on the hospitality industry in particular, in San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

He said the sweeps are not related to immigration issues.

“So, we’ve been expecting a sweep,” Zolezzi said. “We’ve known it was coming.”

Zolezzi said that the Hillcrest restaurant’s workers were questioned regarding possible wage and hour infractions and the owner could be fined for infractions unless he can provide payroll records as proof there have been no violations.

Zolezzi also sent an e-mail blast to the association’s 750 hospitality members warning them that the state coalition is on the lookout for violations that include electrical hazards, blocked exits, unsecured compressed-gas canisters, improper exposure to hazardous materials, and wage and hour law infractions. The agents would also be looking for evidence of workers’ compensation insurance.

Businesses, including restaurants, are required to keep payroll records and proof of workers’ compensation insurance coverage on hand.

“That means establishments must have records ready to show state agents when they request them,” Zolezzi said. “A lot of restaurant owners don’t know this. They may keep their records at home, or if they have more than one restaurant, they may not know they have to keep copies at all of them.”

If there is no proof of workers’ compensation insurance available, agents may shut a business down immediately and hefty fines could be assessed, he added.

, Connie Lewis

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-