Foodies in Texas and elsewhere may have heard of or visited the famous Roberta’s pizzeria for a great dining experience. Though the pizza establishment may be known for its food by critics, celebrities and the like, one employee claims that working there is not as pleasant. In a federal lawsuit, he alleges that he has been denied overtime pay for years.
The plaintiff has been working at the eatery as a kitchen worker since 2009. In this role, he crafts the dough for the famous pizza. He also is responsible for cleaning the dirty dishes for the restaurant.
The man claims that he works more than 40 hours each week at the eatery, located in the Bushwick section of the New York Borough of Brooklyn. In accordance with federal law, he asserts that he is entitled to time-and-a-half for all of the hours he works in excess of 40. Instead, he alleges he is only being paid his regular wage for those extra hours.
When the plaintiff reached out to management about his lack of overtime pay, he was apparently told that he was not eligible because he was being paid off of the books. His lawyer believes that many of the employees of Roberta’s were not paid on record until 2013. The kitchen worker filed a class-action lawsuit against the eatery on behalf of himself and the other workers who may have been the victims of wage theft. Texas workers in similar situations who do not receive appropriate resolutions to their discrepancies may choose to move forward to file claims. If the claims are successfully navigated, the affected workers may be awarded the wages they are owed as well as any other applicable financial relief ordered by the court.
Source: New York Daily News, “Roberta’s pizzeria in Bushwick sued by worker who claims he was cheated out of overtime wages“, John Marzulli, July 14, 2015
