Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburger locations in Springfield dinged for overtime pay

Ralph Green, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
A file photo of a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant.
A file photo of a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers restaurant.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Wednesday it had taken action against a restaurant group that owns several Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburger locations in southwest Missouri and northern Arkansas for failing to pay workers during their 15-minute breaks.

A news release from the U.S. Department of Labor says 3Pointe Restaurant Group Holdings LLC provided their Freddy's employees with a 15-minute break for every six hours worked but required the employees to clock out for those breaks. The Department says this was a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which says that rest periods of short duration (between 5 and 20 minutes) must be counted as hours worked.

As a result of the investigation, the release says 3Pointe was required to pay $38,495 in owed overtime and $38,495 in liquidated damages to 213 Freddy's workers.

“Food service workers are some of the nation’s lowest paid workers. They depend upon every dollar earned to make ends meet and the law protects their rights to be paid for all the hours worked,” said Hanz Grünauer, wage and hour district director in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a news release. “As businesses struggle to find the people they need to be successful, those who fail in their legal obligations to their workers may find it more difficult to retain and recruit workers in the future.”

Below is the list of restaurant locations that were part of the investigation:

  • 4507 W. Walnut St., Rogers, AR 72756

  • 1049 N. Salem Road, Fayetteville, AR 72704

  • 6800 W. Sunset Ave., Springdale, AR 72762

  • 3511 Highway 412 East, Siloam Springs, AR 72761

  • 1185 Branson Hills Parkway, Branson, MO 65616

  • 1915 W. Marler Lane, Ozark, MO 65721

  • 3757 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804

  • 2305 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65803

  • 615 W. El Camino Alto St., Springfield, MO 6581

The News-Leader reached out to 3Pointe Restaurant Group Holdings LLC but didn't hear back by press time.

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Ralph Green is a business reporter with the Springfield News-Leader. Contact him at RAGreen@gannett.com, by phone: (417-536-4061) or on Twitter at RalphGreenNL

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers forced to pay workers overtime