It starts off like any good joke, two racist pigs walk into a Waffle House… They make racist comments and harass staff based on race. The employees turn to management for help, and the manager is left with the question: What should I do? Well, here are a few choices:
(A) Ask the customers to stop, and if they don’t, ask them to leave.
(B) Tell the employees, that unfortunately he cannot control the customers, who always must be treated as being right.
(C) Tell the employees that they are lucky to have jobs, and if they don’t like it, fire them.
If you are an employer and chose anything but A, I look forward you being sued some day. That some day came recently for East Coast Waffles, Inc., which owns and operates more than 100 Waffle House restaurants. They chose C.
This is unbelievable. The law is clear in that any retaliation for complaining about unlawful harassment — even from third parties such as customers — is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The average yearly income (including tips) for a server at a Waffle House is $9,314, with a cap at about $18,000. East Coast Waffles agreed to pay $25,000 to each of the two fired employee to get the case settled. At $2.95 per waffle, that is over 16,949 waffles that need to be sold to cover the settlement.
If you even think that your employment rights have been violated or that you might need an employment lawyer, then call the right attorney to schedule a free and confidential consultation at 866-797-6040. Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm is dedicated to protecting employees’ rights and solving employment disputes.
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