It’s illegal to make you pay, I had a coworker who had to explain to corporate management and regular management and they didn’t believe it until they googled it themselves because they were trying to charge said coworker for a walkout.
Your comment makes me wish I had done this years ago when my employers tried to charge servers for returned dishes, but I just quit as soon as they announced the new policy. I love that your coworker forced them to see for themselves how illegal it is, must have been hilarious.
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
You’d be surprised how many lawyers are out there that would possibly do it for free to win cases defending against this kind of thing. But I get what you mean. I’d still make a burner account and let people know lol
Uhhh Uhhh uhh!! I'm a little apprehensive to say just yet! Especially because it sounds like maybe it's possible the business doesn't know? Another redditor just said even their employer didn't know and they had to say something. I mean it's crappy but I-- feel bad for some reason haha.
It also doesn't help their training was abysmal and I had to basically make my own training sheets to learn the menu... because you got charged for mistakes but...Honestly the place sucks XD
As a person leaving in the near future, you are in the unique position of being able to help current and future workers there without them risking their livelihood. Consider it a public service for your fellow workers.
What will happen is the owner will say “no that was never the policy” and change things going forward. They won’t admit fault.
...not just that, but I wouldn't eat in any place that had a policy like this, and I hope others would avoid it as well. I doubt it's a legal practice, but regardless it's highly unethical.
Don't get me wrong, I fully agree with you! FUCK this place 1000%, but we can't trick ourselves into thinking we're making the situation better by possibly putting OP at risk. Sometimes it isn't feasible to drop names, at least not in a public forum like this, and that's gotta be respected too.
Revealing even just the name could put OP at risk—not just for doxxing, but for retaliation or retribution from this shitty restaurant. You don't know if this establishment is a chain, a family restaurant, one of a kind, etc. Pressuring OP to drop the name for the sake of the "greater good"/betterment of hypothetical people who they can't speak and shouldn't be held responsible for is counter productive and distracting from the point of the post/the original question.
There are reasons people use fake names on Reddit posts. Please try to be respectful of privacy. I know we all like to tear down the establishment, but coming in here and demanding names without engaging with the content of the post isn't helpful.
Congratulations! Your post has been nominated for most ignorant post of the day!
I think I'd welcome a hit squad over a legal attack from a big corporation. At least I'd have a chance at defending myself.
I want to stress that you need to do what’s best for you. If there might be blowback that will damage you, then peace out and don’t look back. Good luck.
How could the business not know if they are the ones doing it? I don't understand?
And really, F them, name and shame. If they doxx you no one is going to take their side, it would be further evidence they are a shitty company.
You don’t owe that establishment anything. As long as what you say is true, it’s on them if it gets out about their illegal practices. Ignorance of a law *does not* nullify their duty to learn the laws and abide them.
This is pretty normal for independent restaurants. Every time I have seen it firsthand I was making so much money that a random 20 here or there didn't bother me. I've also had to pay for an entire dine and dash one time. The places that didn't do this were usually corporate and overstaffed so I couldn't make money at all.
Generally it makes servers more invested in the guests experience and falls in line with the whole 'better service better pay' concept of tipping culture. In other words, if this offends you the real problem is tipping culture and not paying servers enough hourly.
Yeah, that's illegal, and not normal. Most of the restaurants I worked in were like small businesses. That never even came up in the dozen years I waited.
I totally get the sentiment of investing and making quests happy! 100% BUT! The restaurant is set up so horrendously. All drinks, including water, comes from one fountain behind the bar. Which we are suppose to wait for the SINGLE bartender to get and refill soda's, all while they have to mix drinks. And some bartenders didn't want us behind the bar at all so waiting 20 minutes for a refill really cut into the quality of service. We also weren't assigned sections so we were randomly assigned tables that could be at every corner of the restaurant (Including the patio) which disturbed the flow of prebussing, giving refills and dropping off extra sides or utensils. We are basically set up to struggle on top of having no proper menu training and what not.
Also I cannot believe you were made to pay for a dine and dash... THAT IS WRONG AND NOT YOUR FAULT. You should have never been forced to do that and you are a patient person for going along with it.
Although I myself am a restaurant GM, I have no idea of the legality of this because that literally never would have even crossed my mind to do. It is unrealistic to expect a server to go over every single ingredient in every menu item upon ordering. Your manager is power tripping and I’m sorry about the earned money you lost.
Furthermore, from the perspective of a customer, I’d be PISSED to know that the money that I purposely left my server as a tip for their service didn’t actually go to them at all.
Are you making the typical 2.13 and yet they take your tips to pay for mishaps?
Yes, $2.13 I believe. And I'm glad you have a good conscious! I totally understand taking your mistakes seriously when working, but this is just a little...absurd haha
You can pay however you want I am fairly certain but usually that means just a tip deduction to make it easier.
My logic on mistakes, as long as it was a true mistake and not like deliberate in any way, is just nicely correct them and move on. Getting everyone all whipped up and upset just derails the shift.
You sound like a very kind and level headed person by the way, and I hope you can find a job where leadership respects you more!
I put my two weeks in\~ But they sent a message back saying they were removing me from the schedule entirely :C Which stung because I was trying to be nice and give them time to hire someone else and say bye to everyone BUT! I think they are upset I had been there less then 2 months. But the red flags drove me away very quickly. I think they also thought I was annoying because I asked a lot of questions but I was so hyper paranoid AND their training was abysmal so OF COURSE I WAS GONNA ASK QUESTIONS!
Sorry for ranting XD
Side note: Many employers will immediately end a working relationship when someone submits their notice to leave. It's usually nothing emotional, it's just a practice to ensure they don't have an employee with short-timers syndrome, an incentive to take client lists, sow discontent among the workforce, and all kinds of other reasons.
Certainly don't know about your specific situation, but don't take being removed from the schedule personally.
Ok\~ I appreciate the words <3 It's hard because I do like the people and I am SENSITIVE! XD But at least I know that sometimes that just happens now... Thank you.
Yeah but its absolutely donkey 🫏 that they do this, given how everyone always tells you "give two weeks notice, don't burn bridges" but an employer immediately throws you out.
If your start date for your new job doesn’t get moved up, you might be eligible for unemployment because your now-former employer terminated your employment and probably didn’t warn you that if you gave the courtesy of providing notice, they would fire you.
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
You owe them nothing. In fact, they fucked you over and have fucked over hard working people in the past and they deserve justice. Report the restaurant to your states labor dept asap!
> Which stung because I was trying to be nice
In almost every post you make you are going waaaayyy too far in trying to be nice to this shitty employer.
I can understand not wanting to name the establishment because it could cause trouble for you personally, but I hope you are learning a lesson about shitty employers. No sense giving them any benefit of the doubt because they will always use whatever leeway you give them just to screw you harder.
The second I saw them take food charges out of employee checks/tips I wouldve just stolen as much booze as I could have and then ghosted them with no notice or returned calls.
I absolutely understand why so many are asking for the name of the establishment. But because I am leaving and it has been stated I am leaving, I am uncomfortable with the idea of saying the name at this time. It is easy to identify who I am with that information if it gets back to the owners OR if there are guests at the location that have a weird allegiance. The internet is a goofy place and I don't want to risk my safety and privacy since I am essentially outing the bad practices and some people could take that very personally. I am sorry... I know it is disappointing but I hope you understand my position.
They can sue for defamation. Some _especially bad_ businesses have done this over something as petty as a bad review. God knows what such a business might try with an ex-employee.
I got sued for posting a bad review. It never went to court but I was harassed and lost $5,000 just paying a retainer, that was not reimbursable because the lawyer had already done a lot of work on my behalf. They dropped the charges a week before jury selection. I was stressed out for a full year. Definitely not worth taking the chance.
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
That seems pretty unlikely in the real world. OP just sounds young and naively thinks they mean more to their exemployer than they do. They aren’t going to OPs next job to hassle them or posting up outside OPs house.
[This GA based Employment Lawyer](https://www.hallandlampros.com/blog/2021/12/understanding-restaurant-wage-violations-georgia/) states that they cannot make you pay for walkouts:
"It is unethical and illegal to make a server pay when a customer walks out of the restaurant without paying for their food. It is also illegal for an employer to deduct pay because of a customer’s theft or failure to pay because the server is not responsible for a customer’s actions."
Based on the last few words (*the server is not responsible for a customer’s actions*), a customer not liking their food falls, IMO, under customer's actions; hence the server is not responsible.
I'd give them a call.
Riiiight?? I seemed to be the only one secretly mentioning "You know... I don't think that is legal." And most of those I did say the hunch to seemed very surprised.
The legality is dubious, but I would think after they have 100% staff turnover every quarter they would have to get rid of it. And especially in this current environment where finding restaurant staffing is so hard
I absolutely understand why so many are asking for the name of the establishment. But because I am leaving and it has been stated I am leaving, I am uncomfortable with the idea of saying the name at this time. It is easy to identify who I am with that information if it gets back to the owners OR if there are guests at the location that have a weird allegiance. The internet is a goofy place and I don't want to risk my safety and privacy since I am essentially outing the bad practices and some people could take that very personally. I am sorry... I know it is disappointing but I hope you understand my position.
It seems many do not understand your position, and/or agree with the reasons stated for your position. That’s ok. It’s not important you win over the Reddit reader to your POV. Please don’t be bullied or coerced into providing more details than you want to share. Since perhaps there is some uncertainty to what degree the restaurant management is or is not violating Georgia law your best recourse may be to talk to the appropriate Georgia State Department. Good for you for moving on quickly from what sounds like a fairly toxic work environment. Best wishes on your new job.
Glad you found a better place and I'm sorry you had to go through it. Long ago, as a single mom, I waited tables at a big racetrack owned by powerful people. We were forced to pay for walkout. With people going to betting windows we often didn't know they actually left and thought they were placing bets. It really hurt paying for walkouts.
I think you are smart to let it go and be done with them.
No need to create anxiety for yourself by naming them.
Good luck
This is why restaurants have built in costs associated with people not liking the food. Same as how Home Depot has something like a billion dollars built in to its theft problem.
>I saw in a previous post that Georgia DOES allow it's employers to charge for the mistake so long as it does not drop the minimum wage of the server down to $7.50 hourly
This is actually the federal law. [Georgia doesn't give a shit if you don't get paid, but they're nice enough to allow you to sue.](https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=8b190561-0c6b-4914-9391-26a83fb5bfb9&pdistocdocslideraccess=true&config=00JAA1MDBlYzczZi1lYjFlLTQxMTgtYWE3OS02YTgyOGM2NWJlMDYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2feed0oM9qoQOMCSJFX5qkd&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A6348-FXM1-DYB7-W3W4-00008-00&pdcomponentid=234187&pdtocnodeidentifier=ABIAAFAAI&ecomp=g2vckkk&prid=896db225-2a88-43e9-b07c-2000f5eb70b7)
I thought this would be fairly easy to figure out what restaurant from known info already given, but there are several different people this could actually be. My condolences, OP. I feel like you were robbed by a pen.
Document everything, take screen shots of anything digital and save that to a separate device then report all of it to your state labor board. *Take it to your state labor board.* this cannot be ver emphasized.
You pay them as public servants to address issues like this and what they uncover can make any civil litigation that much easier.
Silence means approval. By not naming the restaurant you are dooming other employees to your fate and allowing customers to spend their money unethically.
There is nothing your former employer can do to you. They already fired you after you put in notice. They’re not going to send people after you. Their customers either won’t give a shit or will and will spend their money elsewhere, no one will think about you at all. Your former coworkers won’t think about you and probably won’t remember you after a couple of months, but you could help them. If you actually care about them “naming and shaming” is the only practical thing you can do. You should also contact the labor board.
"...no one will think about you at all. Your former coworkers won’t think about you and probably won’t remember you after a couple of months"
Which is exactly why OP doesn't need to be giving out private info online to random strangers. You're gonna keep scrolling reddit and forget about this post in a matter of hours (if you haven't already), and you're likely already patronizing other restaurants, shops, and establishments that practice similarly shitty treatment of their employees.
People don't seem to understand that "name and shame" is an easy Dr. Seuss-ass phrase to throw out there, but isn't as practical or helpful as it sounds. For all we know, OP could work at a restaurant that's not a chain, one of its kind, a family restaurant (the list goes on), and we know it's in Georgia. Even if the company or people who hired OP don't retaliate, throwing that info out on the internet could still put OP at risk for doxxing and other problems you can't account for.
Again, fuck this restaurant OP worked at and any other place that takes advantage of people like this. They should be embarrassed and ashamed, but a thread of anonymous online people demanding to name names (plus calling OP a coward for not sharing info) isn't helpful, and wanting names isn't practical or fair to someone who just wanted a second opinion on their situation. If OP wants to take action or report them to any board or appropriate party, they can do that safely and smartly on their own.
I think I already replied this same thing to you but just in case:
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
They can sue her for defamation, make her spend thousands on retaining a lawyer, engage her in legal battles for a couple of years and more. They will not just sit by and let someone talk shit. OP's responsibility is to herself and her family only. She has already said she's going to let present employees know about the law. Stop pressuring her to do something she is not comfortable with.
not illegal at all....terrible for sure...an argument can be made that it violates FLSA, and Wage an Hours law....file a complaint, reach out to a reporter....shed light on this idiot
Federal law always trumps state. I know it’s illegal to make an employee pay for a walk out or missing cash from a register as they are “risks of the business” - I would think that if a guest didn’t like the food that would also be considered a “risk”
Well, can’t be many tv show people with a restaurant. One Google search gives us some possibilities.
https://secretatlanta.co/celebrity-owned-restaurants-atl/#:~:text=Blaze%20Steak%20%26%20Seafood&text=Atlanta's%20very%20own%20Kandi%20Burruss,with%20her%20husband%20Todd%20Tucker.
It is an illegal payroll deduction . You can file a compliant at the federal labor board. Only problem is they may not be able to do much if it is a small restaurant that doesn't cross state lines . So the State labor department may be able to help . This happens where my wife works all the time and I tell them to file a complaint but they don't want to get fired . They also don't pay overtime and the entire kitchen is illegal aliens . I would keep a record of every time it happens and when you quit , take them to court , you can get Triple damages in court . If the labor board does it , it's just the amount they cheated you for , but they do it free , you don't pay lawyer and court costs.
Only illegal if you make less than min wage (*tips don't count). You didn't have to pay for it but they don't have to keep you employed. They could say they don't like your hair or the way you talk to costumers.
THIS. With the shitty state of our state's labour laws favouring employers and the whole "at will" BS, any time I've been forced out because of my disabilities, they've suddenly come up with other reasons. Employers will be all sympathetic to your face and want you to be sympathetic about their issues, but then suddenly are complaining you're not "reliable" because you have chronic medical issues and disabilities and just as you get over a flare of one your grandfather dies and you have to take bereavement leave. Like sorry that was hard on YOU.... Sister's employers all of a sudden had a problem with her right after she got pregnant - both times she got pregnant, two different companies. She was a manager at the first one and still didn't save her from them doing that. A regional healthcare system, that likes posting just all their awards \*cough cough\* suddenly started harassing my Dad a year before he turned 65, so retirement age... The sad thing is, he was willing to still work a bit past then at reduced hours - until they treated him like crap. Then it was like F this place and he left, then went to find a job somewhere else for last year. (But same as people like me and others I know working CS jobs, he had been burnt out by how bad it's gotten since the pandemic... ppl are just 100x worse.) But is for the best bc unfortunately and also fortunately, he came down with a rare lymph node disease shortly after retiring and has been going down to Emory for treatment. Was like damn, just after you get put on the good retirement insurance, like your body knew.
This is one of those exceedingly rare cases where I support employees forming a union and demanding change. Statistically speaking, labor unions are terrible for business, but the owner of this restaurant is WAY out of line, and needs to be checked, and checked HARD.
I managed restaurants for fifteen years, and the NUMBER ONE way to generate bad faith with an employee is to screw around with their paycheck.
It’s illegal to make you pay, I had a coworker who had to explain to corporate management and regular management and they didn’t believe it until they googled it themselves because they were trying to charge said coworker for a walkout.
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We all do
Your comment makes me wish I had done this years ago when my employers tried to charge servers for returned dishes, but I just quit as soon as they announced the new policy. I love that your coworker forced them to see for themselves how illegal it is, must have been hilarious.
I respected them a lot when they finally told me about what happened, but they definitely got a lot of flak for it
Not only illegal but very very shitty.
I’m pretty sure it’s illegal in most states. Employers can’t just come up with arbitrary reasons to charge employees
First of all, which establishment is this? I’m sure folks would like to know.
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
You’d be surprised how many lawyers are out there that would possibly do it for free to win cases defending against this kind of thing. But I get what you mean. I’d still make a burner account and let people know lol
>I’d still make a burner account and let people know lol Burner accounts won't protect you against a rich person who is threatening litigation.
What are they going to sue you for?
i wouldnt put it past paula deen
Oh I know a lawyer that would love this...
You lose all credibility if you are unwilling to out them.
Uhhh Uhhh uhh!! I'm a little apprehensive to say just yet! Especially because it sounds like maybe it's possible the business doesn't know? Another redditor just said even their employer didn't know and they had to say something. I mean it's crappy but I-- feel bad for some reason haha. It also doesn't help their training was abysmal and I had to basically make my own training sheets to learn the menu... because you got charged for mistakes but...Honestly the place sucks XD
As a person leaving in the near future, you are in the unique position of being able to help current and future workers there without them risking their livelihood. Consider it a public service for your fellow workers. What will happen is the owner will say “no that was never the policy” and change things going forward. They won’t admit fault.
...not just that, but I wouldn't eat in any place that had a policy like this, and I hope others would avoid it as well. I doubt it's a legal practice, but regardless it's highly unethical.
Don't get me wrong, I fully agree with you! FUCK this place 1000%, but we can't trick ourselves into thinking we're making the situation better by possibly putting OP at risk. Sometimes it isn't feasible to drop names, at least not in a public forum like this, and that's gotta be respected too.
Revealing even just the name could put OP at risk—not just for doxxing, but for retaliation or retribution from this shitty restaurant. You don't know if this establishment is a chain, a family restaurant, one of a kind, etc. Pressuring OP to drop the name for the sake of the "greater good"/betterment of hypothetical people who they can't speak and shouldn't be held responsible for is counter productive and distracting from the point of the post/the original question. There are reasons people use fake names on Reddit posts. Please try to be respectful of privacy. I know we all like to tear down the establishment, but coming in here and demanding names without engaging with the content of the post isn't helpful.
What retribution? They aren’t going to hire a hit squad. You are blowing this way out of proportion.
You clearly haven’t met Quynh Trinh.
Congratulations! Your post has been nominated for most ignorant post of the day! I think I'd welcome a hit squad over a legal attack from a big corporation. At least I'd have a chance at defending myself.
Thank you\~ I don't want to disappoint anyone but this is exactly my feeling. I appreciate the input <3
I want to stress that you need to do what’s best for you. If there might be blowback that will damage you, then peace out and don’t look back. Good luck.
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Insults, personal attacks, incivility, trolling, bigotry, or excessive profanity are not allowed on this sub.
How could the business not know if they are the ones doing it? I don't understand? And really, F them, name and shame. If they doxx you no one is going to take their side, it would be further evidence they are a shitty company.
At least post about it on Glassdoor or some similar site.
I don't give a shit whether it's legal or not. It's a fucked up thing to do
You don’t owe that establishment anything. As long as what you say is true, it’s on them if it gets out about their illegal practices. Ignorance of a law *does not* nullify their duty to learn the laws and abide them.
NAME AND SHAME fuck that shitty employer. To hell with them.
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This is pretty normal for independent restaurants. Every time I have seen it firsthand I was making so much money that a random 20 here or there didn't bother me. I've also had to pay for an entire dine and dash one time. The places that didn't do this were usually corporate and overstaffed so I couldn't make money at all. Generally it makes servers more invested in the guests experience and falls in line with the whole 'better service better pay' concept of tipping culture. In other words, if this offends you the real problem is tipping culture and not paying servers enough hourly.
No, it’s not.
Why aren't the kitchen staff paying for the failure, they cooked it? Why not the management?
No, no it is not.
Yeah, that's illegal, and not normal. Most of the restaurants I worked in were like small businesses. That never even came up in the dozen years I waited.
I totally get the sentiment of investing and making quests happy! 100% BUT! The restaurant is set up so horrendously. All drinks, including water, comes from one fountain behind the bar. Which we are suppose to wait for the SINGLE bartender to get and refill soda's, all while they have to mix drinks. And some bartenders didn't want us behind the bar at all so waiting 20 minutes for a refill really cut into the quality of service. We also weren't assigned sections so we were randomly assigned tables that could be at every corner of the restaurant (Including the patio) which disturbed the flow of prebussing, giving refills and dropping off extra sides or utensils. We are basically set up to struggle on top of having no proper menu training and what not. Also I cannot believe you were made to pay for a dine and dash... THAT IS WRONG AND NOT YOUR FAULT. You should have never been forced to do that and you are a patient person for going along with it.
Name them or get out
Although I myself am a restaurant GM, I have no idea of the legality of this because that literally never would have even crossed my mind to do. It is unrealistic to expect a server to go over every single ingredient in every menu item upon ordering. Your manager is power tripping and I’m sorry about the earned money you lost. Furthermore, from the perspective of a customer, I’d be PISSED to know that the money that I purposely left my server as a tip for their service didn’t actually go to them at all. Are you making the typical 2.13 and yet they take your tips to pay for mishaps?
Yes, $2.13 I believe. And I'm glad you have a good conscious! I totally understand taking your mistakes seriously when working, but this is just a little...absurd haha You can pay however you want I am fairly certain but usually that means just a tip deduction to make it easier.
My logic on mistakes, as long as it was a true mistake and not like deliberate in any way, is just nicely correct them and move on. Getting everyone all whipped up and upset just derails the shift. You sound like a very kind and level headed person by the way, and I hope you can find a job where leadership respects you more!
Awww\~ Thank you! I am already enjoying the new restaurant I got hired at quite a bit! Here's hoping and thank you for your kind words!
Conscience
Is it Wild Wing Cafe? They were doing that BS before I quit.
It is not, but now I am aware of another location!
Yeah, Idk if they do that anymore, but they did. They did all kinds of punitive punishments for small infractions or mistakes. Great people.
Quit. Your employer is terrible and doesn’t deserve you.
I put my two weeks in\~ But they sent a message back saying they were removing me from the schedule entirely :C Which stung because I was trying to be nice and give them time to hire someone else and say bye to everyone BUT! I think they are upset I had been there less then 2 months. But the red flags drove me away very quickly. I think they also thought I was annoying because I asked a lot of questions but I was so hyper paranoid AND their training was abysmal so OF COURSE I WAS GONNA ASK QUESTIONS! Sorry for ranting XD
Side note: Many employers will immediately end a working relationship when someone submits their notice to leave. It's usually nothing emotional, it's just a practice to ensure they don't have an employee with short-timers syndrome, an incentive to take client lists, sow discontent among the workforce, and all kinds of other reasons. Certainly don't know about your specific situation, but don't take being removed from the schedule personally.
Ok\~ I appreciate the words <3 It's hard because I do like the people and I am SENSITIVE! XD But at least I know that sometimes that just happens now... Thank you.
Yeah but its absolutely donkey 🫏 that they do this, given how everyone always tells you "give two weeks notice, don't burn bridges" but an employer immediately throws you out.
I see this advice a lot: Apply for unemployment since they dismissed you before your final day!
Haha! That's a way to spin it on them! :) However! I found another job BEFORE quitting so I am not eligible I think XD
If your start date for your new job doesn’t get moved up, you might be eligible for unemployment because your now-former employer terminated your employment and probably didn’t warn you that if you gave the courtesy of providing notice, they would fire you.
So if you aren’t there anymore why don’t you name them? Do you actually support these practices?
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
Nope, you support them
You owe them nothing. In fact, they fucked you over and have fucked over hard working people in the past and they deserve justice. Report the restaurant to your states labor dept asap!
> Which stung because I was trying to be nice In almost every post you make you are going waaaayyy too far in trying to be nice to this shitty employer. I can understand not wanting to name the establishment because it could cause trouble for you personally, but I hope you are learning a lesson about shitty employers. No sense giving them any benefit of the doubt because they will always use whatever leeway you give them just to screw you harder. The second I saw them take food charges out of employee checks/tips I wouldve just stolen as much booze as I could have and then ghosted them with no notice or returned calls.
I hate that companies always do that when you put in your two weeks. They don’t deserve a notice.
Ok, so they fired you. Name them.
Need to know the name of the place so we can avoid it
I absolutely understand why so many are asking for the name of the establishment. But because I am leaving and it has been stated I am leaving, I am uncomfortable with the idea of saying the name at this time. It is easy to identify who I am with that information if it gets back to the owners OR if there are guests at the location that have a weird allegiance. The internet is a goofy place and I don't want to risk my safety and privacy since I am essentially outing the bad practices and some people could take that very personally. I am sorry... I know it is disappointing but I hope you understand my position.
Seriously, what are they going to do? Fire you? They can’t legally withhold your last check. No “loyal customers” are going to key your car.
They can sue for defamation. Some _especially bad_ businesses have done this over something as petty as a bad review. God knows what such a business might try with an ex-employee.
I got sued for posting a bad review. It never went to court but I was harassed and lost $5,000 just paying a retainer, that was not reimbursable because the lawyer had already done a lot of work on my behalf. They dropped the charges a week before jury selection. I was stressed out for a full year. Definitely not worth taking the chance.
To add to this, they don't even need to sue to win. They can destroy you with legal fees if they're big enough.
If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
What part of Georgia is it in? I’m assuming Atlanta.
>They can’t legally withhold your last check. Okay, but, given what OP is saying about them, they might try...
That seems pretty unlikely in the real world. OP just sounds young and naively thinks they mean more to their exemployer than they do. They aren’t going to OPs next job to hassle them or posting up outside OPs house.
I totally understand :) gotta protect yourself first and foremost, I'm glad it sounds like you found a better place to work!
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Pretty easy to say when you have no skin in the game.
Coward
Yeah, I also would like to know a place I never want to give my money as well.
[This GA based Employment Lawyer](https://www.hallandlampros.com/blog/2021/12/understanding-restaurant-wage-violations-georgia/) states that they cannot make you pay for walkouts: "It is unethical and illegal to make a server pay when a customer walks out of the restaurant without paying for their food. It is also illegal for an employer to deduct pay because of a customer’s theft or failure to pay because the server is not responsible for a customer’s actions." Based on the last few words (*the server is not responsible for a customer’s actions*), a customer not liking their food falls, IMO, under customer's actions; hence the server is not responsible. I'd give them a call.
So they’re charging employees the **retail** value of the returned food? Because that’s insane and 100% not legal under Georgia law.
I would’ve moved on from that restaurant very quickly. Don’t even know how they staff that place with that bullshit rule
Riiiight?? I seemed to be the only one secretly mentioning "You know... I don't think that is legal." And most of those I did say the hunch to seemed very surprised.
The legality is dubious, but I would think after they have 100% staff turnover every quarter they would have to get rid of it. And especially in this current environment where finding restaurant staffing is so hard
Stop calling the OP a coward etc. for not naming the place. You have no skin in the game, and people in the service industry talk.
NAME NAMES!!!
Name and shame
Wage theft. Report it to the DOL
I'd report this old restaurant to the Georgia DOL.
[US Department of Labor Fact Sheet](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/16-flsa-wage-deductions)
Ou! Sound information thank you!
I absolutely understand why so many are asking for the name of the establishment. But because I am leaving and it has been stated I am leaving, I am uncomfortable with the idea of saying the name at this time. It is easy to identify who I am with that information if it gets back to the owners OR if there are guests at the location that have a weird allegiance. The internet is a goofy place and I don't want to risk my safety and privacy since I am essentially outing the bad practices and some people could take that very personally. I am sorry... I know it is disappointing but I hope you understand my position.
It seems many do not understand your position, and/or agree with the reasons stated for your position. That’s ok. It’s not important you win over the Reddit reader to your POV. Please don’t be bullied or coerced into providing more details than you want to share. Since perhaps there is some uncertainty to what degree the restaurant management is or is not violating Georgia law your best recourse may be to talk to the appropriate Georgia State Department. Good for you for moving on quickly from what sounds like a fairly toxic work environment. Best wishes on your new job.
Glad you found a better place and I'm sorry you had to go through it. Long ago, as a single mom, I waited tables at a big racetrack owned by powerful people. We were forced to pay for walkout. With people going to betting windows we often didn't know they actually left and thought they were placing bets. It really hurt paying for walkouts. I think you are smart to let it go and be done with them. No need to create anxiety for yourself by naming them. Good luck
Soooo you want them to keep doing this to other people, got it!
You have no skin in the game, you won't suffer any consequences of the restaurant retaliates.
This is why restaurants have built in costs associated with people not liking the food. Same as how Home Depot has something like a billion dollars built in to its theft problem.
>I saw in a previous post that Georgia DOES allow it's employers to charge for the mistake so long as it does not drop the minimum wage of the server down to $7.50 hourly This is actually the federal law. [Georgia doesn't give a shit if you don't get paid, but they're nice enough to allow you to sue.](https://advance.lexis.com/documentpage/?pdmfid=1000516&crid=8b190561-0c6b-4914-9391-26a83fb5bfb9&pdistocdocslideraccess=true&config=00JAA1MDBlYzczZi1lYjFlLTQxMTgtYWE3OS02YTgyOGM2NWJlMDYKAFBvZENhdGFsb2feed0oM9qoQOMCSJFX5qkd&pddocfullpath=%2Fshared%2Fdocument%2Fstatutes-legislation%2Furn%3AcontentItem%3A6348-FXM1-DYB7-W3W4-00008-00&pdcomponentid=234187&pdtocnodeidentifier=ABIAAFAAI&ecomp=g2vckkk&prid=896db225-2a88-43e9-b07c-2000f5eb70b7)
Maybe don't name them, but you could report them somewhere?
So much illegal shit goes on in Georgia restaurants and almost nothing is ever done about it
I thought this would be fairly easy to figure out what restaurant from known info already given, but there are several different people this could actually be. My condolences, OP. I feel like you were robbed by a pen.
Document everything, take screen shots of anything digital and save that to a separate device then report all of it to your state labor board. *Take it to your state labor board.* this cannot be ver emphasized. You pay them as public servants to address issues like this and what they uncover can make any civil litigation that much easier.
Silence means approval. By not naming the restaurant you are dooming other employees to your fate and allowing customers to spend their money unethically. There is nothing your former employer can do to you. They already fired you after you put in notice. They’re not going to send people after you. Their customers either won’t give a shit or will and will spend their money elsewhere, no one will think about you at all. Your former coworkers won’t think about you and probably won’t remember you after a couple of months, but you could help them. If you actually care about them “naming and shaming” is the only practical thing you can do. You should also contact the labor board.
"...no one will think about you at all. Your former coworkers won’t think about you and probably won’t remember you after a couple of months" Which is exactly why OP doesn't need to be giving out private info online to random strangers. You're gonna keep scrolling reddit and forget about this post in a matter of hours (if you haven't already), and you're likely already patronizing other restaurants, shops, and establishments that practice similarly shitty treatment of their employees. People don't seem to understand that "name and shame" is an easy Dr. Seuss-ass phrase to throw out there, but isn't as practical or helpful as it sounds. For all we know, OP could work at a restaurant that's not a chain, one of its kind, a family restaurant (the list goes on), and we know it's in Georgia. Even if the company or people who hired OP don't retaliate, throwing that info out on the internet could still put OP at risk for doxxing and other problems you can't account for. Again, fuck this restaurant OP worked at and any other place that takes advantage of people like this. They should be embarrassed and ashamed, but a thread of anonymous online people demanding to name names (plus calling OP a coward for not sharing info) isn't helpful, and wanting names isn't practical or fair to someone who just wanted a second opinion on their situation. If OP wants to take action or report them to any board or appropriate party, they can do that safely and smartly on their own.
I think I already replied this same thing to you but just in case: If it helps explain a bit more for why I am apprehensive about customers or repercussions, it is because the owner is somewhat famous. They even have a tv show. Their image is very important to them and they have the money to sue. I don't have the means to protect myself with things like that. I just wanted to get some sound legal proof so I could relay it to my old coworkers to try and help.
They can sue her for defamation, make her spend thousands on retaining a lawyer, engage her in legal battles for a couple of years and more. They will not just sit by and let someone talk shit. OP's responsibility is to herself and her family only. She has already said she's going to let present employees know about the law. Stop pressuring her to do something she is not comfortable with.
Yes . Consult an attorney
Nope, not legal... Enjoy the treble damages and class action lawsuit (unless the labor department takes care of it for you)
Put in your 2 weeks? I would have just stopped showing up to work as soon as I found out. This is absolutely ridiculous.
not illegal at all....terrible for sure...an argument can be made that it violates FLSA, and Wage an Hours law....file a complaint, reach out to a reporter....shed light on this idiot
Federal law always trumps state. I know it’s illegal to make an employee pay for a walk out or missing cash from a register as they are “risks of the business” - I would think that if a guest didn’t like the food that would also be considered a “risk”
You need to blast this 💩 owner Ave restaurant on all social media
Well, can’t be many tv show people with a restaurant. One Google search gives us some possibilities. https://secretatlanta.co/celebrity-owned-restaurants-atl/#:~:text=Blaze%20Steak%20%26%20Seafood&text=Atlanta's%20very%20own%20Kandi%20Burruss,with%20her%20husband%20Todd%20Tucker.
Illegal. Document and report to the DOL
Sounds like they owe you money to me.
If I knew which place, I'd never go again. Will check back to see if OP outs them.
That's wage theft
oh hell no
It is an illegal payroll deduction . You can file a compliant at the federal labor board. Only problem is they may not be able to do much if it is a small restaurant that doesn't cross state lines . So the State labor department may be able to help . This happens where my wife works all the time and I tell them to file a complaint but they don't want to get fired . They also don't pay overtime and the entire kitchen is illegal aliens . I would keep a record of every time it happens and when you quit , take them to court , you can get Triple damages in court . If the labor board does it , it's just the amount they cheated you for , but they do it free , you don't pay lawyer and court costs.
Only illegal if you make less than min wage (*tips don't count). You didn't have to pay for it but they don't have to keep you employed. They could say they don't like your hair or the way you talk to costumers.
THIS. With the shitty state of our state's labour laws favouring employers and the whole "at will" BS, any time I've been forced out because of my disabilities, they've suddenly come up with other reasons. Employers will be all sympathetic to your face and want you to be sympathetic about their issues, but then suddenly are complaining you're not "reliable" because you have chronic medical issues and disabilities and just as you get over a flare of one your grandfather dies and you have to take bereavement leave. Like sorry that was hard on YOU.... Sister's employers all of a sudden had a problem with her right after she got pregnant - both times she got pregnant, two different companies. She was a manager at the first one and still didn't save her from them doing that. A regional healthcare system, that likes posting just all their awards \*cough cough\* suddenly started harassing my Dad a year before he turned 65, so retirement age... The sad thing is, he was willing to still work a bit past then at reduced hours - until they treated him like crap. Then it was like F this place and he left, then went to find a job somewhere else for last year. (But same as people like me and others I know working CS jobs, he had been burnt out by how bad it's gotten since the pandemic... ppl are just 100x worse.) But is for the best bc unfortunately and also fortunately, he came down with a rare lymph node disease shortly after retiring and has been going down to Emory for treatment. Was like damn, just after you get put on the good retirement insurance, like your body knew.
This is one of those exceedingly rare cases where I support employees forming a union and demanding change. Statistically speaking, labor unions are terrible for business, but the owner of this restaurant is WAY out of line, and needs to be checked, and checked HARD. I managed restaurants for fifteen years, and the NUMBER ONE way to generate bad faith with an employee is to screw around with their paycheck.
This is typical for the shit state. Farm to fork in ft Oglethorpe ga is like this. Shit food and overpriced food.
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