Certain locations of Cheesecake Factory restaurants were recently found to be in violation of proper employment practices. Several California locations of the restaurant were investigated and were found to be guilty of employee rights violations. The Labor Commissioner’s Office awarded janitorial workers after the investigation was concluded.
This is not the first case of problems with wage theft at the Cheesecake Factory. During this case, the Cheesecake Factory restaurants and its janitorial subcontractors were found liable in a $4.57 million dollar case. Over 500 janitorial workers were awarded $3.94 million. The awards were due to damages, penalties, missed meals and rest time breaks, minimum wages and overtime.
The janitorial workers would typically come in for a night shift and work through the night with no stops for rest or meal breaks. After the shift ended, the work was then checked by a Cheesecake Factory manager, which often resulted in additional work being performed. Many times, workers had unpaid overtime of up to 10 hours per week. New state law allows Cheesecake Factory to be liable as well as the contractors for the wage theft. The 2015 law holds client employers accountable for the workplace violations conducted by contractors.
The janitorial staff was finally vindicated in their quest to have their basic employee rights granted. In California, in most cases, workers are offered meal and rest breaks, minimum wage protections and are compensated for overtime. A worker who feels his or her rights have been violated may wish to seek help. An experienced and knowledgeable attorney can often offer guidance.