Cipriani screwing their employees
Establishment: Cipriani
Location: New York
From today’s NY Post:
A former Cipriani chef has cooked up a court case claiming his ex-employers cheated him out of overtime.
Aurelio Caruso, of Staten Island, alleges that the famed restaurant group — whose owners pleaded guilty to tax evasion in 2007 — has a "corporate policy . . . of minimizing labor costs" by shortchanging its kitchen staff.
Caruso, who worked at Cipriani 42nd Street, Cipriani Wall Street and the Rainbow Grill between 2004 and April of this year, says he routinely put in more than 40 hours a week without being paid for it.
His Manhattan federal court suit doesn’t specify damages.
A Cipriani spokeswoman didn’t return a call for comment.
Comments
It depends on what job you are doing. If you are a line cook, sous chef or assistant manager, then you are probably entitled. If you are a general manager or executive chef, probably no. There are some law firms that specialize in this area, like Fitapelli & Schaffer, Outten & Golden and Joseph and Herzfeld.
i wish them luck in getting what’s rightfully owed to them.
unfortunately this stuff is so confusing. everybody seems to know what is and isn’t legal and getting competent legal help depends on how much money were talking about here.
for me the bottom line is if you agree to work a salaried position that does not allow for over time pay or agree to work extra hours without pay its your own fault. its harsh but true.
Head Chefs/Cooks are cheated out of overtime continually, as the employer regularally pays them a “flat salary”. This practice has been in place for as long as I can remeber, and I’ve over 30 years in the restaurant business. Asides from the fact that when management decides to let a cook/prep person go, who does their work? For no extra pay? I am aware that most chefs are perceived as tyrants, but there are exceptions. However perhaps they are forced in behaving this way, as the pressure of “maintaining costs” include maintaining their sanity. Not employees.
Does anyone know if this is still going on? I worked at Cipriani’s and got screwed over on over-time as well… wasn’t a cook though…
now in terms of overtime, if your salaried and are putting in over 60hrs a week, is there any way to get compensated for all that extra time?