Denny's wage and hour record at a glance
Denny's appears in 18 concluded Wage and Hour Division investigations in California, closed between Jan 13, 2006 and Sep 13, 2024. 17 of them found violations, 372 in all, and the employer agreed to pay $56,007 in back wages to 105 workers, plus $13,475 in civil money penalties. Of the back wages, $55,354 was unpaid overtime and $653 unpaid minimum wage under the federal standard. The largest single case closed Dec 31, 2020 in Hayward with $32,202 for 59 workers. The Division flagged 2 cases as repeat or willful. 1 minors were involved in child labor findings. That places the employer at #1,734 of 23,910 California employers in the database by back wages. The same employer has 2 WARN layoff notices on file with the EDD.
Industry as coded by the Division: Full-Service Restaurants. Laws involved: FLSA, child labor.
Every case, newest first
| Case closed | Period investigated | City | Findings | Back wages | Workers paid | Penalties | Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2024 | Sep 2022 to Sep 2024 | Concord | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA, child labor |
| Jan 1, 2024 | May 2021 to Jan 2024 | Sacramento | 12 violations repeat | $4,813 | 11 | $13,475 | FLSA |
| Dec 31, 2020 | Jan 2018 to Dec 2020 | Hayward | 89 violations repeat | $32,202 | 59 | 0 | FLSA |
| Oct 23, 2019 | Oct 2017 to Oct 2019 | Los Angeles | 5 violations | $10,797 | 4 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Fowler | 57 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Milpitas | 23 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Gustine | 22 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Fresno | 36 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Sanger | 4 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Fresno | 22 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Los Banos | 5 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Fresno | 10 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 18, 2018 | May 2015 to Jul 2018 | Campbell | 21 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Aug 28, 2017 | Sep 2015 to Aug 2017 | Stockton | 29 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jul 20, 2017 | Mar 2017 to Jul 2017 | Livermore | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Jan 8, 2013 | Jan 2011 to Jan 2013 | Danville | 4 violations | $136 | 3 | 0 | FLSA |
| Dec 19, 2008 | Mar 2008 to Dec 2008 | Fremont | 3 violations | $87 | 2 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jan 13, 2006 | Jan 2004 to Jan 2006 | Ventura | 28 violations | $7,972 | 26 | 0 | FLSA |
Also filed as: Denny's Ventura, LLP; Central Valley Diner Inc.; DSDS INC; RJC, LLC; Southern Hospitality Restaurant Group; Denny's - Fowler; Devika Inc; Denny's - Milpitas; Sagar Diner Inc; Denny's - Gustine; Denny's - Fresno Shaw Ave; Denny's - Sanger.
Local pages: Concord employment lawyer, Sacramento employment lawyer, Hayward employment lawyer.
How to read this record
Each row is one federal investigation. Period investigated is the span of payroll the Division reviewed, usually two years back from the complaint. Back wages is what the employer agreed to pay for that period at the federal rate; penalties went to the government, not to workers.
Back wages computed under the federal law are usually a fraction of the California number for the same hours: the state minimum is $16.90 in 2026, overtime starts after 8 hours in a day, and each missed meal or rest period adds an hour of pay. Workers paid in these cases may still be owed that difference, and the federal release form covers only the federal claim.
Full explainer: what a Labor Department case is, and what it is not.
If you work, or worked, at Denny's
Pull together your pay stubs and your own record of hours for the last three years, request your pay records in writing (the employer has 21 days under Labor Code 226), and keep any WH-58 receipt from a Labor Department payment. A free review tells you in one call whether the California numbers exceed what was paid, whether break premiums and waiting time penalties apply, and whether anything that happened after you complained counts as retaliation. Call (800) 371-3088 or send your stubs.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division enforcement database, California cases. Record last checked Oct 30, 2026. Back to the wage theft tracker.
About this data: Cases come from the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division enforcement database (WHD compliance actions concluded since fiscal year 2005, California employers only), published by the Department of Labor and reloaded here every month. "Back wages" are amounts the employer agreed to pay at the close of the investigation; "penalties" are civil money penalties assessed. An investigation that found no violation is listed as such. The database does not include California Labor Commissioner cases or private lawsuits. This page is general information, not legal advice about your situation.