THE FOLLOW UP
STATEMENT

DOL recovered back wages for nine workers at Ma’s Kitchen (Naya Ding Inc.) for overtime and invalid tip pools.

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enforcement

Back wages recovered for the workers.

Source summary
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recovered $17,311 in back wages from Naya Ding Inc., which operates Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, after finding unlawful tip-pooling practices and unpaid overtime affecting nine workers. Investigators found owners retained a portion of tips, supervisors distributed only part of earned tips, and the employer failed to keep accurate payroll and time records. The company faces a $2,985 civil penalty for willful violations. The DOL encouraged affected parties to contact the Wage and Hour Division and highlighted compliance resources including the PAID self-reporting program.
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Latest fact check

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. (dol.gov)

Sources

Timeline

  1. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 08:58 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. (dol.gov)
  2. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:47 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor announced that it recovered $17,311 in back wages for nine workers at Ma’s Kitchen, also known as Naya Ding Inc. The recovery was attributed to violations of federal wage laws related to improper overtime payments and invalid tip pools. Therefore, the statement is accurate regarding the DOL's actions and the violations confirmed. Verdict: True, as the statement matches the details provided by the DOL's official announcement.
  3. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 07:02 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. (dol.gov)
  4. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:53 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. (dol.gov)
  5. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 05:06 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. The employer also faces a $2,985 civil money penalty due to the willful nature of the violations. (dol.gov)
  6. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 04:23 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma's Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by operating an unlawful tip pool and failing to pay proper overtime wages. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the required time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The Department recovered $17,311 in back wages for nine workers and assessed a $2,985 civil money penalty for the willful nature of the violations. (dol.gov)
  7. Update · Dec 21, 2025, 02:54 AMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Ma's Kitchen (Naya Ding Inc.) in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant unlawfully retained a portion of servers' tips and failed to pay overtime wages as required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The investigation led to the recovery of $17,311 in back wages for nine workers and a $2,985 civil money penalty for the employer. (dol.gov)
  8. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 11:47 PMTrue
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division investigated Naya Ding Inc., operating as Ma’s Kitchen in Rowland Heights, California, and found that the restaurant violated federal wage laws by denying nine workers proper overtime pay and operating an unlawful tip pool. The investigation revealed that supervisors were instructed to distribute only a portion of earned tips to servers, with the restaurant owners retaining a percentage. Additionally, some employees were not paid the full time-and-a-half rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. As a result, the Department of Labor recovered $17,311 in back wages for the affected workers. (dol.gov)
  9. Update · Dec 20, 2025, 08:45 AMcomplete
    The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the recovery of $17,311 in back wages for nine workers at Ma’s Kitchen (Naya Ding Inc.) due to violations of federal wage laws concerning overtime and improper tip pooling. This confirms that the statement about the recovery of back wages is entirely accurate. The evidence firmly supports the claim, validating it as true.
  10. Original article · Dec 19, 2025
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