Founding Farmers’ Restaurant Group Settles a Class Action Lawsuit From Employees for $1.49 Million

Farmers Restaurant Group, the parent company of often Yelp-ed local restaurants Founding Farmers, Farmers Fishers Bakers, and Farmers & Distillers, just agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by employees against the company over alleged labor violations.

Bloomberg reports that Farmers Restaurant Group agreed to pay $1.49 million to eligible plaintiffs, including 962 current and former employees who worked at the company’s five restaurants in the D.C. area from June 7, 2014 through July 20, 2018.

In the lawsuit, employees claimed that their sick leave didn’t match up with a 2014 D.C. sick leave law and that they were being paid the tipped minimum wage while working on non-tipped duties. According to a Post story last year, plaintiffs also alleged that they would work more than 40 hours at two different Farmers Restaurant Group and were not paid for overtime because hours were considered tied to the restaurant, not the employee.

Farmers Restaurant Group denies all these allegations in the lawsuit, stipulating that the agreement is not an admission of any wrongdoing.

Tipping has been a hot-button issue in D.C. lately. In June, voters approved a $15 minimum wage for tipped workers.

• Restaurant Group Agrees to $1.49M Pay, Sick Leave Settlement [Bloomberg]
• Employees Sue Farmers Restaurant Group for Stiffing Staff, Plus More Intel [EDC]
• Founding Farmers Group Opens Hybrid Restaurant in Pennsylvania [EDC]
• Original Founding Farmers Is King of Yelp Reviews in D.C. [EDC]
• Local Chain Founding Farmers’ New Reston Restaurant Arrives April 11 [EDC]