in Newswire January 4, 2019

Red Robin Franchisee Sued by Ex-Manager Over Alleged Gender Pay Discrimination

Last Updated on January 4, 2019

Payne v. Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc.

Filed: January 4, 2019 ◆§ 5:19cv28

A Red Robin franchisee is facing a lawsuit filed by a former front of house manager who alleges she was paid less than her male peers for the same work.

Defendant(s)

Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc.

Law(s)

Equal Pay Act of 1963

State(s)

Pennsylvania

Red Robin franchisee Lehigh Valley Restaurant Group, Inc. is staring down a lawsuit filed by a former front of house manager who alleges she was “consistently and systematically paid less than her male peers for the same work.”

According to the suit, the plaintiff worked at several of the defendant’s 22 Pennsylvania restaurants before being promoted to manager at the company’s York location in July 2018. At the time, the woman claims, the company’s online advertisements for its manager positions listed starting salaries of $50,000. The plaintiff alleges, however, that she was offered during her hiring process just $42,000 before negotiating her salary up to $43,000. Despite her low offer, the lawsuit continues, men were supposedly being hired around the same time with starting salaries of at least $48,000 to $50,000.

The following September, the suit says, the woman made a complaint to her regional manager concerning the alleged pay gap. Rather than address the issue, the company, the case charges, fired the plaintiff in retaliation for her complaint.

“LVRG had no basis, other than gender, to pay [the plaintiff] less than her male colleagues, and no basis, other than her complaint regarding the disparity of pay between female and male Front of House Managers, to terminate her employment,” the suit asserts.

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