Martins v. MRG of South Florida, Inc.

112 So. 3d 705, 20 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1184, 2013 WL 1890593, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 7370
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMay 8, 2013
DocketNo. 4D12-726
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 112 So. 3d 705 (Martins v. MRG of South Florida, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Martins v. MRG of South Florida, Inc., 112 So. 3d 705, 20 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1184, 2013 WL 1890593, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 7370 (Fla. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

WARNER, J.

Brunna Martins appeals the trial court’s order of final summary judgment in favor of her former employer, MRG of South Florida, Inc., on her complaint for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). She claims that many material issues of fact remain as to whether she was paid less than the minimum hourly wage because of various practices of MRG. We agree that material issues remain and reverse for further proceedings.

Martins filed suit against her former employer, MRG, for alleged FLSA violations while she worked as a cocktail waitress. In her complaint, Martins alleged that she was paid less than the legal minimum wage by virtue of the fact that MRG took a “tip credit” for hours Martins was in training and not earning tips. Martins also alleged that she was required to pay for her own uniform and was charged for customer walk-outs and breakages, also causing her hourly wage after tips to fall below the minimum wage. She further alleged that she was encouraged to stay after work and socialize with customers for about an hour a week, but was not paid for this time. Finally, Martins alleged that she was never paid commissions owed to her by MRG for bottle sales. MRG generally denied all of the allegations in the complaint, and moved for summary judgment.

In its motion for summary judgment, MRG asserted that even if taken as true, the allegations made by Martins did not establish any FLSA violation. Primarily, it argued that even if Martins was paid a reduced wage for training and was required to maintain her own uniform and pay for breakage and walkout expenses, Martins’ employment records and tax returns showed that she never earned less than $4.23 per hour, the allowable minimum wage in Florida [707]*707for tipped employees. In support of its motion, MRG submitted the affidavit of its controller, stating that: MRG did not take any deductions from Martins’ pay; Martins’ work hours were never reduced; staying after hours to socialize with customers was never part of Martins’ job; and, Martins failed to turn in her bottle sales receipts within the time frame necessary for her to receive commissions. It also filed Martins’ deposition and accompanying exhibits, in which Martins testified that she was paid $4.23 an hour for training and “meetings.”

Martins filed affidavits and deposition excerpts in opposition to the motion, although they were late-filed. It is unclear whether the trial court considered them. Because of their untimeliness, on appeal, we have not considered them but rely on the complaint as well as the filings by MRG.

“The standard of review of an order granting summary judgment is de novo.” Mobley v. Gilbert E. Hirschberg, P.A., 915 So.2d 217, 218 (Fla. 4th DCA 2005) (citing Volusia Cnty. v. Aberdeen at Ormond Beach, L.P., 760 So.2d 126, 130 (Fla.2000)). “[Sjummary judgment should not be granted unless the facts are so clear and undisputed that only questions of law remain .... It is the burden of the moving party to conclusively prove that no genuine issue of material fact exists.” Dade Cnty. Sch. Bd. v. Radio Station WQBA, 731 So.2d 638, 643 (Fla.1999) (internal citation omitted). MRG fails to recognize this standard in its brief and repeatedly states that Martins failed to carry her burden of proof, entitling it to summary judgment.

FLSA requires that employers pay employees a minimum hourly wage. 29 U.S.C. § 206 (2006). During the time Martins worked for MRG, the federal minimum wage was $7.25 an hour. 29 U.S.C. § 206(a)(1)(C). FLSA contains a provision which allows an employer to pay its tipped employees less by taking a “tip credit” for the difference between the reduced wage and the regular minimum wage. 29 U.S.C. § 203(m). A “tipped employee” is defined as “any employee engaged in an occupation in which he [or she] customarily and regularly receives not less than $30 a month in tips.” 29 U.S.C. § 203(t). The highest tip credit an employer can take under the FLSA is minimum wage minus $2.13 per hour. 29 C.F.R. § 531.59(a) (2009). Under Florida law, the highest tip credit an employer can take is $3.02 per hour. Art. X, § 24(c), Fla. Const. Thus, during the relevant time period in Florida, an employer could pay a tipped employee direct wages as low as $4.23 an hour.

An employer who takes the maximum tip credit must demonstrate that the employee actually received at least that amount in actual tips. 29 U.S.C. § 203(m); 29 C.F.R. § 531.59(b). After tips, the employee must always earn at least the minimum wage, which in this case was $7.25 per hour. Importantly, “[t]he defendant bears the burden of establishing that it is entitled to claim the ‘tip credit.’ ... Unless the employer satisfies its burden of showing the applicability of the tip credit, the employee is ‘entitled to the full minimum wage for every hour worked.’ ” Ash v. Sambodromo, LLC, 676 F.Supp.2d 1360, 1369 (S.D.Fla.2009) (quoting Barcellona v. Tiffany English Pub, Inc., 597 F.2d 464, 467 (5th Cir.1979)) (additional internal citation omitted).

MRG did not refute Martins’ claim that MRG took a “tip credit” for her time in training, because it claims that it was entitled to claim credit for training hours. Merely because Martins may have been a “tipped employee” does not mean that all hours that Martins worked allowed MRG to take a “tip credit” against the minimum wage. See, e.g., Fast v. Applebee’s [708]*708Int'l Inc., 638 F.3d 872 (8th Cir.2011) (affirming district court’s order denying summary judgment in employer’s favor when employer took tip credit for non-tipped duties performed by wait staff in excess of 20% of hours worked); Myers v. Copper Cellar Corp., 192 F.3d 546, 549-50 (6th Cir.1999) (noting that 29 C.F.R. § 531.56(e) “illustrates] that an employee who discharges distinct duties on diverse work shifts may qualify as a tipped employee during one shift” but not another). Whether an employer can take tip credit against training depends upon the facts of each case as to whether an employee is a “tipped employee” for the hours for which the “tip credit” is being claimed. 29 C.F.R. §§ 531.51 & 531.59(b). Those facts are in dispute in this case, and thus MRG is not entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

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Bluebook (online)
112 So. 3d 705, 20 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1184, 2013 WL 1890593, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 7370, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/martins-v-mrg-of-south-florida-inc-fladistctapp-2013.