ATLANTA — Slutty Vegan is facing a federal lawsuit from three employees who claim they were never paid promised bonuses and that their overtime wages were suppressed.
It is the second lawsuit in the last several months the popular and expanding Atlanta-based vegan chain has faced alleging pay issues.
In this instance, the three employees of the Brooklyn restaurant accuse Slutty Vegan of never paying bonuses of what was supposed to be as much as $7,000 a quarter for the store's general manager and as much as $4,000 per quarter for the store's assistant general manager.
Both those senior leaders of the Brooklyn location allege they were also tasked with cooking food and serving customers, racking up 50-60 hours a week that were not paid the overtime rate.
The third employee, a trainer for other workers, alleges his pay was "repeatedly miscalculated."
In a statement, representatives for Slutty Vegan at Anderson Group Public Relations said:
“Slutty Vegan is deeply committed to creating a positive and supportive work environment for all of its employees, and takes the wellbeing of its staff very seriously. Slutty Vegan takes its legal obligations seriously, and especially those relating to its staff. It maintains an open door policy and invites employees to express their concerns with management so that they can be examined and resolved in a fair, reasonable and lawful manner. We are aware of the lawsuit recently filed in the U.S. District Court in New York, and are reviewing it with our legal counsel. Slutty Vegan does not comment on any pending litigation, except that it is committed to complying with all applicable laws. Slutty Vegan is passionately dedicated to making a positive impact, not only with respect to its employees and customers, but also within the communities it serves.”
Pinky Cole, the chain's founder, also responded to the previous lawsuit in January that she has “only operated with integrity" and "[doesn't] play with people's money.”
The lawsuit is alleging the chain of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act as well as New York labor law. It seeks the unpaid wages for the three employees as well as additional damages.