COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Former employees of a Columbus-area restaurant chain have claimed that the company willfully violated state and federal labor laws through routine underpayment and tip theft.
A dozen employees of Northstar Café’s Easton and Westerville locations have joined a federal lawsuit filed against the company in late May, claiming in part that the restaurant group underpays for overtime, disburses tips to managers and pays employees subminimum wages. Arguing the labor violations are company-wide policy, the employees have asked the court to grant them class action status, allowing potentially dozens of former and current employees to join the complaint.
“This is wage theft, in our book,” said Bob DeRose, managing partner at Barkan Meizlish DeRose Cox and an attorney representing the employees.
Northstar Café’s policies violate labor laws in a myriad of ways, the complaint argues. Taken together, improper tip distribution and incorrect overtime calculations amount to the company not paying employees even the federal minimum wage – nearly $3 less than Ohio’s required minimum.
A Northstar Café representative said the company cannot comment on pending litigation, but it “will always prioritize managing a fair, legally-compliant workplace.”
“We take these allegations seriously because we value our team members,” the representative said in an email.
By the time of publication,...
"Albo has just been honoured by TIME magazine, named among the 100 most influential figures in the world -- a recognition celebrating his transformative leadership and global impact as Prime Minis...