Staff complaints of non-payment by the owner of Branford’s Donovan’s Reef Restaurant & Catering are under investigation by the Connecticut Department of Labor Division (CTDOL) of Wage and Workplace Standards.

In response to a request for information from Zip06/The Sound, CTDOL Communications Director Juliet Manalan said on Sept. 2 that investigations of this type could take several months, depending on what’s involved in the case.

A letter with an appeal from the staff to Donovan’s Reef owner Steven Sinapis, asking for back wages that staff members stated were about to enter a fourth week, began making the rounds on social media after it was posted by an employee at a public Facebook page, The Branfordite, on August 20.

Zip06/The Sound has reached out to Sinapis for comment on the state investigation and will update this story if a response is received.

In her email response to Zip06/The Sound, Manalan said CTDOL Wage and Workplace Standards Division “...received several complaints about nonpayment of wages for Donovan’s Reef in Branford and opened an investigation early last week.”

According to Manalan, the CTDOL Division of Wage and Workplace Standards protects about 1.6 million workers in Connecticut by enforcing workplace laws, including fair wage and employment standards.

Asked what this type of an investigation entails, Manalan replied, “Upon receiving a complaint, investigators begin an inquiry, may audit employment, payroll, and other records, and may issue Stop Work Orders to protect workers. Companies found to have violated labor laws are subject to both criminal and civil fines and/or penalties.”

Manalan said the agency encourages employees who suspect labor law violations to report them through the CTDOL website.

Donovan’s Reef is located in Branford’s Lockworks Square at 1212 Main St.