J & B Deli on Chapel St. was served with a “Stop Work Order” on Monday after the Connecticut Department of Labor found the Chapel Street grocery in violation of state labor standards.

The Deli “failed to pay at least minimum wage or overtime,” according to a DOL press statement. Employees reported working 60 hours per week and not receiving appropriate insurance coverage. The owners, John and Cheong Rhee of Hamden, Connecticut, also reportedly paid employees in cash and did not keep proper payroll records.

A “Stop Work Order” requires the employer to show proof of required compensation and appropriate records. Under state law, a $300 fine is assessed for each week an employee works while not on the payroll.

“This is a case where an employer is taking unfair advantage of their employees and also cheating the state by not paying the proper taxes or providing worker protections, such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation,” State Labor Commissioner Sharon M. Palmer said in the statement.

The finding comes on the heels of a similar chain of events at Gourmet Heaven, the popular 24-hour grocery on Broadway Avenue.

ISAAC STANLEY-BECKER