On December 21, 2009, Outten & Golden LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Cipriani event, catering and restaurant enterprises. The plaintiffs are current and former servers who worked at Cipriani events at Cipriani 42nd Street, Cipriani Wall Street, Cipriani 23rd Street, and the Rainbow Room. The lawsuit alleges that Cipriani withheld from workers mandatory tips or “service charges” collected from customers who were contracting with the restaurant for private parties and functions. The plaintiffs also allege that Cipriani failed to pay workers the minimum wage, required employees to work off the clock without pay, shaved time worked from plaintiffs’ time records, and paid them for fewer hours than they worked. Plaintiffs allege that Cipriani failed to pay plaintiffs call-in pay when they reported to work and were sent home. Finally, plaintiffs allege that Cipriani failed to pay for the purchase and maintenance of their required uniforms. Servers who worked for Cipriani staffing agencies Exquisite Staffing, CBI Personnel, and CTI Staffing, Inc. may be eligible to be part of the lawsuit.
Outten & Golden LLP is currently investigating reports of similar practices at other New York City restaurants.
(*Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.)
