Burger King franchise owners have to pay $2.2 Million to 230 employees for unpaid wages, denying breaks and other monetary damages
San Francisco’s two Burger King franchise owners didn’t let anyone get away with trying their best. They now face charges of wage theft and owe $2.2 Million to their employees for failing to compensate overtime work. San Francisco Chronicle’s Elena Kadvany reported.
That breaks down to: $724,000 in unpaid wages and $371,000 in interest, plus $1.2 million worth of penalties, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office ruled. These employees worked in six Burger King restaurants owned by Golden Gate Restaurant Group between 2016 and 2019. All of them have since been closed down.
Workers spoke out about the Chronicle that they were denied breaks, worked into the early morning without overtime pay, and took on additional responsibilities that weren’t part of their position. The owners also claimed that they kept their branches understaffed to save labor costs and pressurize managers to achieve sales goals.
Attorney Colin Calvert, who is representing the owners being held responsible for the payments, Monu Singh and Harkiran “Romi” Randhawa, denied claims of understaffing and no breaks to the Chronicle. But in its latest finding of an investigation that began in 2019, which reached a decision the following year only to be appealed, the Labor Commission found evidence that supported workers’ allegations.
It ruled that while some worker testimonies varied, Golden Gate had tampered with time cards and “falsified” forms to make it look like meal breaks were taken when they weren’t. It also found there was no system for compensating workers when they didn’t take a break.
Calvert deemed the investigation “poorly executed” and full of “glaring errors.” He plans to appeal the decision again, the Chronicle reported. Calvert reported Fortune The DSLE investigator failed to interview multiple employees and didn’t request “key data” from Golden Gate. He said that there was no evidence to support the notion that Golden Gate deliberately manipulated employee time punches or had a short staffing policy.
Burger King spokeswoman said that the practices in this case were inconsistent with Burger King values. Fortune. “Burger King expects its franchisees to uphold a strong commitment to providing their team members a safe, welcoming—and fair—place to earn a living.”
The workers are rejoicing—somewhat. “I feel that it is good news,” Daniel Marini, a former manager who said he experienced a back injury from overworking, told the Chronicle. “But the damage that they did to all of us is still there.”
Many fast food workers were forced to quit because of these grueling working conditions. Many workers demanded better working conditions, which was evident in the early days after the pandemic. This past summer, Chipotle A branch of the Michigan State Employees Union was formed by the employees. company’s history. In 2021, 16 McDonald’s workers protested the decision. $15 minimum wageIn an age of high inflation, this is barely enough to be comfortable. You also have Starbucks employees continue to push for unionization. Some companies, like Chipotle, responded by finally offering better benefits And closer to livable wages.
Over the last few years, a storm has been building for fast-food workers. They have had enough of the low pay, lack of respect and excessive workload. The Burger King case represents a win for these workers, but that doesn’t mean the battle for better conditions in the fast-food industry is over yet.
This story originally appeared on Fortune.com
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