Many industries, including the restaurant industry, provide unique opportunities for employees to earn more or to take part in special assignments working at seasonal locations. This type of in-house promotion opportunity or ability to take part in a new venture can be a much-coveted chance sought out by a company’s best employees in Colorado or elsewhere. One nationwide restaurant chain, Ruby Tuesday, recently sought workers to temporarily transfer to a different location only to then find itself fighting off an employment discrimination charge.
The chain restaurant needed servers and bartenders for seasonal work. As an added bonus, the restaurant would also provide housing in the resort town where the servers were needed. This job opportunity was posted in various locations in nine states. The problem arose when some male employees took issue with the advertisement stating there was a preference for female applicants.
There were seven women hired for the positions. Two men have filed a suit as they contend that they were denied the chance to take advantage of the career opportunity because of their gender. The restaurant stated that they did not want to deal with the process of finding housing for both genders. The men are seeking damages and back pay for themselves and other affected male employees.
A case of employment discrimination can be complicated and require evidence that a protected class has been excluded or discriminated against in some way. Some evidence in cases of employment discrimination, such as this one, may include the actual advertisement and the documented qualifications of the people who applied. While complex and possibly time consuming, a successful suit in Colorado can help a worker who has been wronged gain the financial benefits he or she deserves, such as back pay or other associated damages.
Source: The Washington Post, “Ruby Tuesday accused of employment discrimination. Against men.“, Abby Phillip, Jan. 26, 2015
