US eatery to pay its staff over Rs 1 crore after making them confess 'sins' to a 'priest'

The owner hired a fake priest to hear workers’ confessions during work hours and “get the sins out”. (Image: Taqueria Garibaldi/Twitter)

A US restaurant has been ordered to pay a total of $140,000 which is Rs 1,14,55,990 approx in back wages and damages to 35 employees. The restaurant in question had hired a “supposed” priest to have make the employees confess to their “workplace sins”, according to a report in Fox News.

The restaurant named Taqueria Garibaldi Mexican restaurant in Sacramento, California has been asked to fork over the money after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor.

"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, read a press release from the US Department of Labor (DOL).

"This employer’s despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages,” it read further.

The owner hired a fake priest to hear workers’ confessions during work hours and “get the sins out” by interrogating them about stealing money, being late for work or doing anything to harm their boss.

Moreover, the workers were also deprived of their overtime wages, which violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to the release. “They also learned the employer paid managers from the employee tip pool illegally, threatened employees with retaliation and adverse immigration consequences for cooperating with the department, and fired one worker who they believed had complained to the department," the DOL said.

Taqueria Garibaldi agreed to pay $70,000 in back wages, $70,000 in damages and $5,000 in civil penalties, as per Fox News.

"The U.S. Department of Labor and its Solicitor’s Office will not tolerate workplace retaliation and will act swiftly to make clear that immigration status has no bearing on workers’ rights under the Fair Labor Standards Act," Regional Solicitor of Labor Marc Pilotin said in the release.