Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating allegations of wage theft of servers at IHOP restaurants across four states in the Southeast that were operated by its franchisee, CFRA LLC. CFRA runs 48 restaurants in four states – Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In a suit filed last year, Limecca Corbin alleged that she and other servers at CFRA earned a tipped minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, which was reduced to $1.58 an hour by CFRA because it provided a meal during her shift. Despite being paid the tipped minimum wage, Ms. Corbin alleges that CFRA made her, and other servers, perform substantial sidework that does not produce tips such as cleaning and replenishing the salad bar, coffee station, and soda station; stocking condiments; and putting silverware out. Servers, she alleges, had to perform sidework both during and after their shifts, totaling above 20 percent of their working time. The United States’ Department of Labor has said that “where a tipped employee spends a substantial amount of time (in excess of 20 percent in the workweek) performing [sidework], no tip credit may be taken for the time spent in such duties.”
If you or someone you know was a server at an IHOP operated by CFRA in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee in the past three years, please have them contact Migliaccio & Rathod LLP by phone at 202-470-3520 or by email at [email protected].