CINCINNATI — A lawsuit filed against Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment claims the company is violating labor laws by requiring servers and bartenders to share their tips with "back-of-house" employees who have limited to no interaction with customers.
The lawsuit — filed by a former employee "on behalf of all others similarly situated" — states employees who rely on tips at Jeff Ruby's locations in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee get paid less than the required $7.25 per hour minimum wage and $10.88 per hour minimum overtime wage.
On Wednesday, the former employee's attorneys said two other former employees had joined the lawsuit.
After earning their tips, the lawsuit claims employees were required through June 30, 2022, to put their money in a tip pool for distribution among other employees, including those who are not deemed "tip credit" employees.
The lawsuit claims those tip pools violated state and federal labor laws because employers must distribute tips only to "employees who customarily and regularly receive tips."
It also claims those who earn tips are required to spend "substantial amounts of time" performing non-tip-producing tasks during their shift while being paid less than minimum wage.
The lawsuit is asking that Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment return tips "to the employees who earned them" and pay liquidated damages.
Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment, said in a statement the lawsuit was filed by a "disgruntled former employee."
"Our family-owned business is passionately dedicated to our employees. They are not only our greatest asset — they are family. Our purpose statement is to 'transform the hospitality industry by improving lives through our culture of caring.' We have always and will always stand up for justice and truth.
"The actions alleged in the lawsuit are untrue and we plan to defend ourselves vigorously to the fullest extent of the law."
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