Nearly 10,000 Employees Sue Chipotle for Wage Theft

September 7, 2016

Nearly 10,000 workers are suing Chipotle for allegedly not paying them the money they are owed.

Current and former Chipotle employees claim that the company made them work extra hours “off the clock” without paying them. Chipotle faces accusations of committing wage theft across the United States.

In the class action lawsuit Turner v. Chipotle, employees allege that Chipotle regularly requires hourly-paid restaurant staff to clock out but continue working until they receive permission to leave. The name comes from a former Chipotle manager in Colorado who claims she had to work without pay and was instructed to force her workers to do the same in order to meet budget goals.

Chipotle denies any wrongdoing and says the case has no merit. The company stated that it has paid all wages it owes its employees.

Chipotle has faced similar lawsuits in the past, but this is the first time a large class action case has been brought against the company for wage theft. As of Friday, 9,961 current and former workers have sent in consent forms to join the lawsuit.

Chipotle is expected to continue to contest the case.

Employers expect employees to do their assigned tasks, plain and simple. Employees expect to receive the wages they agreed upon for all hours worked; it’s that simple. However, sometimes employers fail to live up to their end of the obligation. When employers fail to pay workers their full and fair wages, employees can take legal action, as this case demonstrates.

Wage disputes can become complicated mostly because a number of state and federal laws apply to these cases. Our Florida Unpaid Wage & Overtime Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can work to help you resolve any wage dispute issues with your employer.

For a free consultation, call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online.