Red Robin to pay $400K after alleged violations of scheduling, wage theft laws at Northgate location

SEATTLE — Seattle-based Red Robin has agreed to pay more than $400,000 to employees for alleged violations of secure scheduling and wage theft laws at its Northgate restaurant.

The Seattle Office of Labor Standards said the alleged violations occurred between Jan. 1, 2018, and Sept. 7, 2022.

Red Robin settled the allegations by agreeing to pay $401,986.68 to 343 employees and $250.32 to the City of Seattle.

OLS alleged that the restaurant failed to post work schedules at least 14 days in advance, pay employees for schedule changes made by the employer and provide required rest and meal breaks.

“This whole experience has made me realize how important it is to find a job that respects the individual. Working for someone, a big restaurant corporation in this case, that only cares about sales rather than their employees affects more than your ability to work,” said Rachael Benson, a former Red Robin employee.

The restaurant chain also agreed to create written polices that adhere to the local ordinances as well as state law.

OLS director Steven Marchese said that workers have a right to know when and how many hours they’ll be working.

A spokesperson for Red Robin released the following statement:

At Red Robin we are committed to doing the right thing, the right way, no matter what. The strength of Red Robin is our people. We have reached a negotiated settlement with no admission of fault to put this matter behind us and focus on our work environment that recognizes the contributions of our team members in a fair and equitable way.

Red Robin has more than 500 employees and 500 locations worldwide.

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