I (23F) work in a restaurant that requires servers to be working at least an hour before/after it closes without getting paid for their labor. This includes doing ALL of the dishes the entire shift, tipping out the kitchen (optional but very encouraged), and completely closing the restaurant with two people.
A few months ago I reported the owners to the state labor department, and just heard back about a week ago from a woman who’s interested in the case and opening an investigation this week. I told a few of the servers about it (current and former), so they had the opportunity to reach out if they wanted.
Just a few days later, I had been late to work due to getting physically attacked the night before and not having the opportunity to charge my phone after I had made it home safe. Admittedly, I was there twenty minutes after the restaurant opened, but even after I explained what happened they basically shrugged their shoulders.
Considering I’ve been there over a year and am easily one of their hardest workers, it resulted in a bit of backlash, including the employees confronting the managers/owners about it. Some have suggested that the owners found out that I reported them and used my being late as an excuse to fire me.
A few things:
– A good handful of the employees are chronically late, to the point that it is expected from them (sometimes up to an hour late with no communication), and have not faced any consequences
-The owners have been known to consistently turn a blind eye to employees that sexually harass others
-Because the servers aren’t getting paid for their labor, when I’m on an hourly wage shift I regularly stay later than needed to help my coworkers close early
-Rather than have one or two GM’s, there is a “managerial team” of six people (the entire staff is probably less than 30 people), two of which live together in a house that the owners (their boss) RENT to them.
I called my managers out for not advocating for me when it’s literally their job and they argued back saying it wasn’t their decision so they shouldn’t have to defend me because they’ve done it in the past. Thankfully I think I have some other jobs lined up, but legally i’m not sure what/if i can do, or if i should just rely on the investigation and move on