Juquila Mexican Restaurants Accused of Denying Women Equal Pay, Violating Labor Laws

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Two individual owners and two operating companies of Juquila Mexican Cuisine and Juquila Kitchen & Bar have been accused by former employees of committing various labor law violations. In a proposed collective action, the plaintiffs claim they were denied minimum, overtime, and spread-of-hours wages; proper wage documents; and equal pay for men and women.

According to the suit, servers were required to cover the cost of food that was sent back to the kitchen and orders that customers failed to pay, which are allegedly unlawful deductions from employee wages. The plaintiffs also claim that they were often denied the credit card tips they earned from customers.

Additionally, female servers were forced to pay for traditional Mexican embroidered blouses to wear as uniforms, according to the complaint, while male employees were permitted to wear black shirts and pants. The plaintiffs claim that male employees were paid $1.00 more per hour than female employees who had the same positions and responsibilities.

The suit alleges violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the New York Labor Law, the New York Executive Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, and the Equal Pay Act of 1963.