Darden Restaurants has been sued by more than 24 employees at Capital Grille restaurants who allege the restaurant violated federal wage laws and discriminated against minority workers.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the employees allege that they were required to work “off the clock” before and after their shifts to perform prep work. They also allege that they were force to share their tips with hourly employees.
"Plaintiffs further allege that non-white employees are more likely to be relegated to server-assistant positions and 'back of the house' positions such as dishwashers and cooks with no opportunities for advancement,” the complaint states, according to the Sentinel. “In Chicago, Chevy Chase and New York, the 'back of the house' is almost exclusively staffed by people of color (African American, Asian, Hispanic, African) while the 'front of the house' is the opposite."
The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, which is a New York advocacy group for restaurant servers, cooks and related staff, filed the complaint in Illinois District Court and seeks class-action status.
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Unpaid Overtime and Wages