11Mar

TGI FRIDAY’S SETTLES WITH 14 PLAINTIFFS IN CLASS ACTION SUIT

Last year, the parent company of popular restaurant, TGI Friday’s, was sued in New York federal court by restaurant workers claiming to have been shorted on wages when performing side work and “off-the-clock” work. Specifically, it was alleged that tipped workers were required to perform work during off-hours without receiving minimum wage and overtime, and management manipulated employee time records to permit “off-the-clock” non-tip producing side work such as cleaning and preparing food. Plaintiffs sought to recover unpaid minimum wages and overtime, misappropriated tips, unlawful deductions and other wages under The Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and New York Labor Law.

Earlier this week, TGI Friday’s agreed to settle the claims of 14 members of the FLSA class. U.S. District Court Judge Analisa Torres approved of all settlements, which ranged from $2,500 to $82,000. Several other named plaintiffs and opt-in plaintiffs still remain in the case.

The case is Flood, et al. v. Carlson Restaurants, Inc., No. 14-cv-2740.