LaRosa’s Pizzeria Minimum Wage Violation Claims
We’re standing up for tipped workers who may have been underpaid
Federal and state wage and hour laws allow employers to pay less than the regular minimum wage to tipped employees, such as restaurant servers, but only under very specific criteria. Unfortunately, some employers don’t follow the law and underpay wait staff for their hard work.
Nilges Draher LLC is investigating allegations that LaRosa’s Pizzeria may have violated wage laws by paying servers the tipped minimum wage for non-tipped work. If you are a current or former server at LaRosa’s, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your underpaid wages. Call 234.401.9162 or fill out the contact form on this page.
Understanding your rights under the 80/20 rule
The tipped minimum wage laws use the 80/20 rule, meaning that if employee working at the tipped minimum wage spends more than 20% of their workweek on non-tipped tasks, they should be paid the full minimum wage for that time. The law also specifies that if a worker performs non-tipped tasks for more than 30 minutes at a time, they should be paid the full minimum wage for that time. And the law does not allow employers to pay the tipped minimum wage for work performed while the business is closed and there is no opportunity to earn tips. We believe that LaRosa’s violated these legal requirements and paid the tipped minimum wage to employees who should have received the full minimum wage.
We are reviewing cases on behalf of servers who spent more than 20% of their workweek or more than 30 minutes at a stretch on such non-tipped tasks. In a pizzeria, these tasks might include:
- Dining room prep
- Refilling salt and pepper shakers, ketchup bottles, etc.
- Rolling silverware
- Folding napkins
- Sweeping or vacuuming
- Setting and bussing tables
- Cleaning around the beverage station
In addition, we are reviewing cases on behalf of servers who were required to perform any of the following tasks for any amount of time:
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Cleaning kitchens
- Preparing food
- Opening duties
- Closing duties
In short, if you’re being paid at the tipped minimum wage, you should be doing work where you have the opportunity to earn a tip. If you’re doing non-tipped work, then you should be paid the full minimum wage. And if you were paid the tipped minimum wage while doing a significant amount of non-tipped work, then your employer owes you compensation for your underpaid wages. We can help.
If you have worked as a server at LaRosa’s, contact us today
Our wage and hour attorneys are actively reviewing cases on behalf of current and former LaRosa’s Pizzeria employees who may have lost income due to alleged tipped minimum wage law violations. If you are in this situation, we’d be honored to listen to your story and explain your legal rights and options. Call 234.401.9162 or fill out the contact form on this page.