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Former Gramercy Tavern Workers Sue Danny Meyer For Wage Theft
By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 15, 2015
Modified Dec 15, 2015
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By
Nell Casey
Published Dec 15, 2015
Modified Dec 15, 2015
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Just when the abolishment of tipping has become headline news, one pioneer in the movement is being sued for alleged wage theft. Two former employees of Danny Meyer's Gramercy Tavern have filed a lawsuit against the restaurateur for failing to pay them the proper wage, reports Telegraph. Two former bussers say they were paid the $5-per-hour wage given to staff who receive gratuities but were forced to share said gratuities in a pool with other members of the staff, meaning they should have been paid at the full minimum wage of $8.75-per-hour.
The lawsuit also alleges that the two men named in the suit, Uzzol Siddiky and Kawsar Maruf, were improperly compensated during private dining events at the restaurant, saying they didn't see earnings from the 20% service charge added to checks at those events. Additionally, the suit has been filed as a class action complaint, as the plaintiffs allude to over 100 other employees who've experienced some kind of wage violation under Union Square Hospitality Group.
"Union Square Hospitality Group has systems in place to comply with all employment regulations," the group said in a statement. "We have always cared deeply about cultivating a strong employee-first culture, and we will review this matter thoroughly."
By the end of next year, all of USHG's restaurants will abandon the tipping model in favor of a "Hospitality Included" model that increases some menu item prices by 21-25%. The move has been met with some resistance by diners, but other restaurants are adopting similar policies in the trend towards a service-included model.
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danny meyer
gramercy tavern
tipping
union square hospitality group
wage theft
Nell Casey
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