A class action lawsuit has been filed against Boston based franchise Finagle a Bagel. The suit was filed on behalf of Sri Lankan trainees alleging that the company violated minimum wage and overtime laws, unfairly terminated their employment, threatened them and their families in Sri Lanka with retaliatory action, and violated the terms of their H-3 visas, which specifically prohibit "productive employment" or a position "in the normal operation of the business." The plaintiffs claim that after they moved into company-provided housing last September for an 18-month managerial "training course," they were forced to work as much as 75 hours a week at jobs ranging from cashiers to bagel makers for $300 which is less than minimum wage. The plaintiffs further claim that when the workers complained about the lack of training they were receiving, two of the trainees were fired and told that the Department of Homeland Security would deport them if they did not leave the country immediately. In addition to the class action lawsuit, complaints have been filed with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Wage and Hour Division of the US Department of Labor, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the state attorney general.
If you feel you qualify for damages or remedies that might be awarded in this class action please fill in our form on the right to submit your complaint.
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