The bulk of the 13 Lawrence employers who owed a collective $112,000 to some 130 local workers have paid their debts, the U.S. Department of Labor said.

However, four restaurants — many with large outstanding totals — have established monthly payment plans with the department, said Spokesperson Scott Allen.

“Basically the way it works is the companies will send a check to the Labor Department and then we get it to the employees,” Allen said.

The department began an initiative in 2014 to enforce fair labor laws throughout Midwestern college towns and resorts, Allen said. Department investigators enter local establishments, speak to employers and employees and examine pay records to ensure proper payment.

In what is being considered the department’s ‘first wave’ of examining establishments in Lawrence, violations were found in a total of 13 Lawrence businesses and one business in Topeka, Allen said.

The violations found range anywhere from charging employees for uniforms and improperly calculating overtime hours for tipped employees to failing to pay employees for all hours of work and requiring servers to work only for tips.

Ten of the businesses have paid their outstanding balances to employees; however, that only accounts for less than a fifth of what is owed.

Four remaining restaurants owe more than $90,000 in back wages.

The restaurants that have settled the debts are as follows:

• El Potro Mexican Café, 3333 Iowa St., paid a total of $2,244 to two employees.

• Marisco’s Restaurant, 4821 W. Sixth St., paid a total of $818 to nine employees.

• Paisano’s Ristorante, 2112 W. 25th St., and its sister restaurant at 4043 SW 10th Ave., in Topeka paid $104 to two employees and $101.8 to three employees, respectively.

• Tres Mexicanos Mexican Grill & Cantina, 1800 E. 23rd St., paid a total of $11,364 to three employees.

• Henry T’s Bar & Grill, 3520 W. Sixth St., paid a total of $4,815 to 48 employees.

• The Mad Greek, 907 Massachusetts St., paid a total of $260 to 10 employees.

• El Sol Mexican Restaurant, 1520 Wakarusa Drive, paid a total of $602.35 to three employees.

• The Bird Dog Bar (in the Oread Hotel), 1200 Oread Ave., paid a total of $948.68 to 10 employees.

• Ten Restaurant (In the Eldridge Hotel), 701 Massachusetts St., paid a total of $540 to 13 employees.

The restaurants who have established payment plans for their debts are as follows:

• La Parrilla Latin American Cuisine, 724 Massachusetts St., owes a total of $8,060 to seven employees.

• Genovese Italian Restaurant, 941 Massachusetts St., owes a total of $1,290 to four employees.

• King Buffet, 1601 W. 23rd St., owes a total of $69,008.13 to 10 employees.

• Zen Zero, 811 Massachusetts St., owes a total of $12,033 to six employees.

La Parrilla, Genovese and Zen Zero are all under the same ownership.

Representatives from the establishments on payment plans did not return phone calls from the Journal-World seeking comment.

None of the 14 restaurants in Lawrence and Topeka were penalized for the initial violations, Allen said. However if, upon follow-up inspections, they are found with the same violations again, they may face fines.

Department of Labor investigators will continue actively enforcing fair labor laws in Lawrence and educating businesses on the rules.

Due to incorrect information from the Department of Labor, a previous version of this story incorrectly listed Ten Restaurant as still owing money to employees.