Benihana Sued For Wage Pay Violations and Unlawful Retaliation

A former chef at a Benihana restaurant in Florida has sued the popular restaurant chain alleging that the restaurant forces its chefs to work without pay, failed to pay overtime, and unlawfully shared the chefs’ tips with non-tipped employees. The complaint, filed in Florida federal court, claims that the company illegally deducts money from the chef’s tips to share them with employees who are not entitled to receive tips.  The lawsuit also claims that the restaurant denies its chefs overtime pay.  The former chef alleges that the company harassed him after he complained about the illegal pay practices and he was ultimately forced to quit because the employer had made working conditions unbearable. The lawsuit seeks lost wages, reinstatement, retaliation damages and attorneys' fees as a result of the workers rights violations.