Investigation finds that Burger King employees were not paid properly

Houston, TX – Wage theft is a problem in every industry in the United States. Sometimes, even a large national company can be engaged in practices that are illegal and workers get mistreated. When employees of any business feel that they are not being paid properly or other problems exist in their workplace, they can speak with a labor attorney to get advice regarding how to proceed. Workers in Texas also have the ability to file an unpaid wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission to start an investigation.

Several locations of a national fast food chain were implicated in a scandal that involved over $2 million in wage theft violations and other serious labor violations[1].

Many workers were not paid properly at Burger King franchises

The lawsuit is about the 230 workers at six different Burger King franchises who were owed approximately $700,000 in unpaid wages, several thousand dollars worth of interest on these late wages, and just over $1 million in penalties against the company that operates these restaurants. The two men who own the franchises were told they are personally responsible for paying these outstanding amounts after their attempted appeal. They had apparently altered the timecards of workers at their restaurants and routinely paid them late in violation of labor laws.

One of the main arguments of the lawsuit brought by the workers was that the restaurants in question were purposely understaffed, which led to many different problems with the working conditions and payments owed to workers. A labor commissioner had investigated the restaurants in question and confirmed that there were serious issues. The investigation also found that the illegal practices were deliberate money saving attempts that caused unpaid overtime and employees to work through their required break time. Other problems included situations where workers were switching between roles as cleaners, cashiers, and food preparers without having a single defined position.

Wage theft lawsuits

In these kinds of situations, the employer is ultimately responsible for all of the wages that were never properly issued. The workers may be able to ask for additional damages such as interest for not paying on time, as well as liquidated damages if an employment agreement was violated. Workers should check the employer’s official records for discrepancies, and start to keep their own records if there are issues.

Employment attorneys in Texas are available

Moore and Associates is a labor law practice in Houston that deals with issues such as unpaid wages, sexual harassment, and discrimination. Their attorneys can provide more details about labor lawsuits during an initial meeting.

USAttorneys.com is available to help those who need to find a lawyer. Anyone who needs assistance with their search for a licensed attorney can call 800-672-3103 to learn more.

Firm contact info:

Moore & Associates

440 Louisiana Street, Suite 675, Houston, TX 77002

713-222-6775

www.mooreandassociates.net

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