Waba grill wage and hour record at a glance
Waba grill appears in 27 concluded Wage and Hour Division investigations in California, closed between Jan 28, 2013 and Jan 11, 2023. 22 of them found violations, 125 in all, and the employer agreed to pay $162,141 in back wages to 107 workers, plus $84,566 in civil money penalties. Of the back wages, $162,141 was unpaid overtime and $0 unpaid minimum wage under the federal standard. The largest single case closed Mar 14, 2016 in Walnut with $40,373 for 8 workers. The Division flagged 11 cases as repeat or willful. 1 minors were involved in child labor findings. That places the employer at #481 of 23,910 California employers in the database by back wages.
Industry as coded by the Division: Limited-Service Restaurants. Laws involved: FLSA, child labor.
Every case, newest first
| Case closed | Period investigated | City | Findings | Back wages | Workers paid | Penalties | Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 2023 | Jan 2021 to Jan 2023 | Van Nuys | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| May 11, 2018 | May 2016 to May 2018 | Lake Forest | 1 violation | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 31, 2016 | Apr 2014 to Mar 2016 | San Diego | 1 violation | $135 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 31, 2016 | Apr 2014 to Mar 2016 | San Diego | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 31, 2016 | Apr 2014 to Mar 2016 | San Diego | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 31, 2016 | Mar 2015 to Mar 2016 | Victorville | 3 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA, child labor |
| Mar 30, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Glendale | 3 violations | $1,074 | 2 | $1,550 | FLSA, child labor |
| Mar 30, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | La Mirada | 1 violation | $125 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 30, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Long Beach | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 28, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Santa Fe Springs | 1 violation | $32 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 22, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | La Puente | no violations found | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mar 21, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | El Monte | 3 violations | $731 | 3 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 16, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Los Angeles | 4 violations | $839 | 4 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Walnut | 9 violations repeat | $40,373 | 8 | $8,800 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Covina | 14 violations repeat | $22,632 | 13 | $15,888 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Claremont | 13 violations repeat | $21,793 | 12 | $13,994 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Fontana | 15 violations repeat | $19,439 | 14 | $16,988 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Chino | 16 violations repeat | $16,560 | 15 | $16,500 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | La Puente | 6 violations | $1,446 | 6 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2013 to Mar 2016 | Ontario | 3 violations repeat | $1,353 | 2 | $1,870 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Rowland Heights | 1 violation | $281 | 1 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 14, 2016 | Mar 2014 to Mar 2016 | Riverside | 2 violations | 0 | 0 | 0 | FLSA |
| Mar 6, 2013 | Apr 2010 to Mar 2013 | Fontana | 7 violations repeat | $10,454 | 6 | $2,244 | FLSA |
| Feb 7, 2013 | Sep 2011 to Feb 2013 | Claremont | 2 violations repeat | $1,896 | 1 | $374 | FLSA |
| Feb 4, 2013 | Dec 2010 to Feb 2013 | Covina | 5 violations repeat | $7,779 | 4 | $1,496 | FLSA |
| Feb 2, 2013 | Feb 2010 to Feb 2013 | Walnut | 6 violations repeat | $6,830 | 5 | $1,870 | FLSA |
| Jan 28, 2013 | Sep 2010 to Jan 2013 | Chino | 9 violations repeat | $8,369 | 8 | $2,992 | FLSA |
Also filed as: Waba Grill (Chino); Jyky, Inc.; Waba Grill (Walnut); OK Partnership; Waba Grill (Covina); Jabez OK; Waba Grill (Claremont); Todah, Inc.; Waba Grill (Fontana); Ha-Jireh; Waba Grill Franchise Corporation; Jaspreet Bajwa, Sole-prop.
Local pages: San Diego 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 Waba grill
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.