- Lemberg Law
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- 3 Squares Diner Alleged FLSA Violations for Overtime and Unpaid Wages
Stevens v. 3 Squares Diner, LLC
Case Information
- Case Number: 7:24-cv-00027-WLS
- Case Status: Case is in progress
- Court: United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia
- Filed: March 22, 2024
A collective action lawsuit has been filed against 3 Squares Diner, LLC, alleging violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The complaint focuses on unpaid overtime wages and illegal meal break deductions for nonexempt employees, including line cooks and servers, across multiple restaurant locations.
Complaint
The lawsuit details significant labor law violations, including:
- Unpaid Overtime:
- The defendant failed to pay nonexempt employees the required overtime rate of one-and-a-half times their regular pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
- Unlawful Meal Break Deductions:
- The defendant deducted 30 minutes per shift from employees’ time records for supposed meal breaks, despite employees working continuously without taking breaks.
- For instance, during one workweek, an employee’s hours were reduced by three hours through falsified meal break deductions, despite no breaks being taken.
- Systemic Practice Across Locations:
- The complaint alleges this practice occurred across all nine restaurant locations, impacting all nonexempt employees under the defendant’s management.
- Willful Violations:
- The defendant knowingly implemented these practices to reduce labor costs to 17.5%, disregarding warnings from staff about the illegality of the deductions.
- The defendant failed to make a good-faith effort to understand and comply with FLSA regulations.
Relief Sought
The lawsuit seeks several remedies for the alleged FLSA violations, including:
- Recovery of Unpaid Wages: Compensation for all unpaid overtime wages.
- Liquidated Damages: Double the amount of unpaid wages as compensation for the defendant’s willful violations.
- Attorneys’ Fees and Costs: Coverage of legal expenses incurred by the plaintiff and collective members.
- Service Award: Recognition for efforts in representing collective members.