Two former employees of a now-closed State College restaurant have filed a lawsuit, claiming that they are owed, combined, over $500,000 in lost wages.
According to documents, the two plaintiffs filed the suit Thursday against John’s Shanghai, and its owner, Danny Xue.
The restaurant, which is located along West Beaver Ave., closed on May 1st.
The two former workers claim Xue violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act and the Pennsylvania Wage and Collection Law by not fully compensating them for the long hours that they worked.
The plaintiffs also allege that Xue failed to keep full and accurate records, and that they were never notified of their rate of pay or of any benefits.
One of the plaintiffs, a former chef, says that he was promised a flat rate of $4,500 per month, but was only paid $1,800 per month.
The other plaintiff, a former waiter/cook, says he was promised a flat rate of $3,500 per month but was never paid the full amount.
Both individuals also claim that $350 was deducted from their pay for lodging, which was allegedly provided by the owner of the restaurant, but that a statement informing them of that decision was also never provided.
They also both claimed that they were never provided with a fixed time to eat and that if an order was placed, they had to stop eating and “attend to the customer,” the documents state.
