No one likes to feel like they were cheated in any type of situation. When it comes to money, if individuals feel that they did not receive the compensation to which they were entitled, they may feel deceived as well as uncertain about what to do. If workers believe that they have been the victims of wage theft, legal action may be warranted.
It was recently reported that the Department of Labor took action against a restaurant owner for such violations in New York and one other state. The DOL reportedly filed a claim against the owner in 2015 due to wage-related violations that impacted over 1,000 workers. The owner apparently agreed to a settlement recently.
The details of the situation indicated that workers had wages deducted from their paychecks for meals taken on shift even though the workers paid for their meals upfront. Additionally, workers were not provided overtime pay or minimum wage as nontipped workers received a portion of the tip pool. The proposed settlement has the restaurant owner paying $5 million, but it was mentioned that the court would need to approve the agreement.
Wage theft continues to be a prominent issue in many industries, and unfortunately, many workers may not have the right information to even know that it is happening to them. If New York workers suspect that their rights have been violated by their employers, they may want to gain more knowledge on their options. Consulting with employment law attorneys could help concerned individuals better understand their situations and what steps they could take to receive their rightful compensation.
Source: thedailymeal.com, “Houlihan’s Owner Will Pay $5 Million in Wage Theft Settlement“, Taylor Rock, April 4, 2018
