Chipotle Mexican Grill, the California-based fast-food chain, has recently agreed to end workers’ claims of multiple violations of New York City’s Fair Workweek Law. . The whopping $20 million settlement will resolveclaims that Chipotle violated several city labor laws. More than 13,000 employees stand to benefit from this settlement. Affected individuals include current and former Chipotle hourly employees who worked for the chain’s New York City locations between 2017 and 2022.
The investigation, led by the New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, was prompted by over 150 complaints filed by Chipotle workers as well as the Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union. The investigation found that the restaurant chain had violated several provisions of the city’s Fair Workweek Law. Several of these violations infringed on the rights of current employees which included failing to notify them of their work schedules 14 days in advance, paying a higher rate for schedule changes and offering any available shifts to existing employees before hiring out new ones.
This is the largest worker protection settlement in New York City history and an amazing result for some of the city’s hardest working employees. The agreement has also prompted Chipotle to take measures to improve predictable scheduling for its workers by investing in time-keeping technology. If you work in New York City in the restaurant industry and often have your schedule changed without notice or don’t get the opportunity to access more work hours when available, you may have a claim. Call our employment law firm, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, for a free and confidential consultation regarding your rights. You can also view our website here for additional helpful information.