Denny's Restaurant wage and hour record at a glance
Denny's Restaurant appears in 9 concluded Wage and Hour Division investigations in California, closed between Feb 28, 2006 and Feb 14, 2023. 8 of them found violations, 126 in all, and the employer agreed to pay $128,455 in back wages to 109 workers, plus $20,728 in civil money penalties. Of the back wages, $120,817 was unpaid overtime and $7,638 unpaid minimum wage under the federal standard. The largest single case closed Feb 14, 2023 in Petaluma with $73,151 for 36 workers. The Division flagged 2 cases as repeat or willful. 2 minors were involved in child labor findings. That places the employer at #664 of 23,910 California employers in the database by back wages.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 14, 2023 | Feb 2020 to Feb 2023 | Petaluma | 39 violations repeat | $73,151 | 36 | $16,108 | FLSA, child labor |
| Aug 30, 2018 | Sep 2016 to Aug 2018 | Mission Viejo | 15 violations | $3,648 | 14 | 0 | FLSA |
| Nov 9, 2012 | Jan 2011 to Nov 2012 | Foothill Ranch | 17 violations | $14,365 | 11 | 0 | FLSA |
| Oct 22, 2012 | Oct 2010 to Oct 2012 | Yucaipa | 6 violations | $2,811 | 4 | 0 | FLSA |
| Feb 10, 2012 | Feb 2010 to Feb 2012 | Hayward | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Aug 4, 2010 | Aug 2008 to Aug 2010 | Simi Valley | 14 violations | $13,955 | 13 | 0 | FLSA |
| Apr 30, 2008 | Jan 2007 to Apr 2008 | Oxnard | 7 violations | $3,788 | 6 | 0 | FLSA |
| Jan 10, 2007 | Jan 2005 to Jan 2007 | Oxnard | 23 violations repeat | $11,769 | 21 | $4,620 | FLSA |
| Feb 28, 2006 | Mar 2004 to Feb 2006 | Sun Valley | 5 violations | $4,968 | 4 | 0 | FLSA |
Also filed as: Densaif, Inc.; Aoxnard, LP; AOXNARD, LP PARTNERSHIP; Shyamzeen Food, Inc.; Denny's Corporation; Ajohn, Inc; Chadeny Enterprises, Inc.; Alisia, Inc.; Pataluma Food Inc.
Local pages: Mission Viejo 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 Restaurant
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.