US Labor Dept. recovers $253K in wages owed to 19 Crackin’ Crab employees

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Federal labor officials said Monday they recovered $253,616 in back wages owed to 19 employees at two Crackin’ Crab locations in Albuquerque.

The U.S. Labor Department found these two companies, operating as Crackin’ Crab locations, violated federal law:

• XM Investment, LLC – 4959 Pan American Fwy N.E. Suite C
• Beemer Investments, LLC – 2100 Louisiana Blvd N.E.

Officials say the two companies kept part of their employees’ tips and contradicted their tip credit. That meant the companies didn’t pay their employees the required minimum wage.

Officials allege the two companies also violated overtime provisions by paying time-and-a-half the regular rate of pay for any hours worked over the 80 hours worked in a pay period, instead of time-and-a-half for any hours over 40 in a work week.

For these offenses, labor officials also assessed the two companies a $616 civil penalty.