EAST ST. LOUIS — Former employees of the Gulf Shores Restaurant and Grill allege they often worked more than 50 hours a week without overtime compensation.
Dontay Williams, Torian Hopkins and Laquita Long filed a complaint Jan. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against H & EDP Management LLC and Harry Parker, alleging violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Illinois Minimum Wage Law. The suit alleges Gulf Shores Restaurant and Grill is owned by the defendants.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are former kitchen staff employees of the Gulf Shores Restaurant and Grill and allegedly worked "at least one workweek" since Jan. 12, 2018. The plaintiffs allege they were paid on an hourly basis ranging from $12 to $16 per hour and regularly worked 50 to 55 hours or more a week without being compensated for overtime. They further allege that despite the defendants' time keeping system recording their working over 40 hours week, they were still paid at their regular pay rate. Specifically, plaintiff Williams alleges she worked more than 105 hours from Jan. 13, 2020, through. Jan. 26, 2020, without being paid overtime. The plaintiffs also claim that they often were required to work on their days off to fill in for workers who called out.
Riggin
The plaintiffs seek monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. They are represented by Russell Riggan and Samuel Moore of The Riggan Law Firm LLC in Kirkwood, Mo. and Molly Elkin and Sarah Block of McGillivary Steele Elkin LLP in Washington, DC.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-00087-MAB