Restaurant to pay workers $140,000 after allegedly hiring a fake priest to extract confessions of workers’ ‘sins’
A restaurant in California has been ordered to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to employees after it hired a priest to extract workers’ confessions.
The US Department of Labor said an employee testified that owner Che Garibaldi, who operates two locations of Taqueria Garibaldi in northern California, hired a fake priest to hear confessions during work hours and “get the sins out,” including asking them if they had been late for work, stolen money from the restaurant or had “bad intentions” toward their employer.
US Federal investigators call the move by the company “the most shameless” acts of corruption an employer has taken against its staff.
“Under oath, an employee of Taqueria Garibaldi explained how the restaurant offered a supposed priest to hear their workplace ‘sins’ while other employees reported that a manager falsely claimed that immigration issues would be raised by the department’s investigation,” said Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin in a statement on Tuesday, June 20.
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento confirmed that they found “no evidence of any connection” between the priest and their diocese.
“While we don’t know who the person in question was, we are completely confident he was not a priest of the Diocese of Sacramento,” a diocese spokesman told the Catholic News Agency last week.
Garibaldi and three other restaurant owners and operators were ordered to pay $140,000 in back wages and damages to 35 employees. The restaurant will also have to pay $5,000 in civil penalties.
Investigators also found that the restaurant denied employees overtime pay, managers were paid bonuses from the employee tip pool and some employees faced “adverse immigration consequences” for cooperating with investigators.
“This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages,” Pilotin said.
Last updated: Just Now
See All Latest Nigerian Music Right Now!!!
Share On:
Top 10 Hottest Songs
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Bien ft. Franglish & Ayra Starr – My Baby (Remix)
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Zlatan ft. Burna Boy – Killin Dem
Gospel Music MUSIC: Samsong ft. Steve Crown – Master Of The World
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Kaestyle ft. Kizz Daniel & Omah Lay – My Dealer (Remix)
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Lil Emm – Nwanyi Oma (Speed Up)
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Sarz ft. Charmaine ‘L A & Gimba – Steady
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Illbliss ft. Teni – Oh My God
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Bloody Civilian ft. ODUMODUBLVCK – Mad Apology
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Jidenna – Safe
Nigerian / African Music MUSIC: Babyboy AV – State Of Mind