Manhattan Eatery Beauty and Essex Hit with Former Employees’ Unpaid Wage Lawsuit

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Manhattan eatery Beauty and Essex is on the receiving end of a proposed collective action filed by former busboys and bar backs who allege they were not paid proper minimum, overtime and spread-of-hours wages.

According to the case, which also names the restaurant’s three individual owners as defendants, the three plaintiffs were inappropriately paid at a tip-credited hourly rate. Since the workers spent over 20 percent of each shift cleaning the sidewalk, arranging silverware, and unloading liquor deliveries, among other non-tipped tasks, the suit argues, the men should have received at least the full minimum wage.

Further, the plaintiffs claim their wages were subject to inappropriate deductions for breaks they did not take and that they were often required to work beyond their scheduled shifts without additional pay.