The US Department of Labor has ordered a California restaurant to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to 35 employees. According to Fox News, the restaurant’s owner hired a “supposed” priest to have the staff confess their “workplace sins.”
Following a thorough investigation by the Department of Labor, Che Garibaldi Inc., which manages the Taqueria Garibaldi Mexican restaurant in Sacramento, was fined. According to federal authorities, the company committed “the most shameless” acts of corruption against its employees.
“Under oath, an employee of Taqueria Garibaldi explained how the restaurant offered a supposed priest to hear their workplace ‘sins’ while other employees reported that a manager falsely claimed that immigration issues would be raised by the department’s investigation,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in the release.
“This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation, and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages.”
The owner recruited the imposter priest to hear confessions during work hours and “get the sins out,” including questioning employees about being late for work, stealing money from the restaurant, or having “bad intentions” toward their boss.
The owner recruited the imposter priest to hear confessions during work hours and “get the sins out,” including questioning employees about being late for work, stealing money from the restaurant, or having “bad intentions” toward their boss.
Taqueria Garibaldi violated labor laws, to pay fines and damages
According to the announcement, the investigators also discovered that the employees were denied overtime pay, which violates the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“They also learned the employer paid managers from the employee tip pool illegally, threatened employees with retaliation and adverse immigration consequences for cooperating with the department, and fired one worker who they believed had complained to the department,” the DOL said.
“The US Department of Labor and its Solicitor’s Office will not tolerate workplace retaliation and will act swiftly to make clear that immigration status has no bearing on workers’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act,” Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin said in the release.
According to Fox News, Taqueria Garibaldi has agreed to pay $70,000 in back wages, $70,000 in damages, and $5,000 in civil fines “due to the willful nature of their violations.”