Companies want to know everything about their employees, even if that means infiltrating a priest among their workers. That was the strategy of a California taqueria, which had a person pose as a priest to encourage employees to confess their “sins.” But no expiration of sins or anything like that. The story has ended with a fine from the US authorities for various violations of labor law.
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento has also denied the alleged priest: “Our own investigation found no evidence of any connection between the Diocese of Sacramento and the alleged priest in this matter,” the director of media and communications for this diocese told the CNA agency. , Bryan J. Visitacion.
Employees were also wary of this priest and confession breaks. “I found the conversation strange and different from normal confessions,” María Parra, one of the workers, explained in an affidavit before the US Department of Labor, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This insider asked them if they had ever been pulled over for speeding, drank alcohol, or had stolen anything. “The priest mainly had work-related questions, which I found strange,” continues this employee. And the star question: if they had something against their boss.
Nothing has gone as desired by Che Garibaldi Inc., the company that operates two Taqueria Garibaldi restaurants in Sacramento and Roseville. The company is under investigation by the US Department of Labor, which calls the fraudulent scheme “one of the most shameless corrupt actions” managers have used against employees.
In their investigation, authorities have found that the restaurant denied workers overtime pay and illegally paid the group’s managers with tips that were not theirs. In addition, they threatened employees with retaliation and immigration-related consequences for cooperating with investigators and fired one they believed had complained to the department.
Lithium has ended with an agreement between the company and the Department of Labor. The company that runs these restaurants will have to pay $70,000 in back wages and $7,000 in damages to 35 employees. In addition, the restaurant and its owners must pay $5,000 in civil penalties to the Department of Labor.
