- The DOL said in its lawsuit that the Popeyes franchise manager “yelled” at federal agents.
- According to the complaint, the man abused investigators and slammed the door so hard that the building shook.
- The DOL said investigators had previously visited the restaurant and were told that all the staff had fallen ill and had gone home.
When federal investigators visited a Popeyes franchise restaurant in Pennsylvania as part of an employment practices investigation, the manager yelled and slammed the kitchen door so hard that the entire building shook, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in federal district court by the division, agents from the DOL’s Wage Hours Division visited a Harrisburg restaurant on Apr. started screaming. April 13, Central District of Pennsylvania.
The district manager “immediately began shouting ‘What are you doing here?’ in an offensive tone and manner,” according to the complaint.
Other comments he made to investigators included, “You think you can walk right in here because you have a fucking badge?” There were comments such as “It’s fine.” You want it,” according to the lawsuit.
The district manager also slammed the kitchen door “so hard that the whole facility shook,” according to the complaint.
His “demeanor, behavior and tone were threatening to investigators and caused them to worry about their physical health,” the DOL wrote.
After holding a closed-door meeting with employees, the district manager stood in the doorway between restaurant staff in the kitchen and investigators in the dining area. The DOL said it was “clear” from his words and demeanor that he did not want officials to talk to investigators.
According to the DOL, when the Wages and Hours Division attempted to interview investigators on March 14, the general manager told investigators that all of the restaurant’s employees had fallen ill and had gone home.
Pennsylvania Central District Judge Christopher C. Conner ordered franchisees and district managers not to retaliate against staff members who directed them to speak to federal agents or share false information. A judge’s preliminary injunction on May 1 also barred restaurants from questioning employees about their interactions with investigators.
A June 7 case management conference has been set between the judge and the parties. Popeyes and parent company Restaurant Brands International are not named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The RBI, district manager and franchise lawyer did not immediately respond to an insider’s request for comment, which was made outside normal US business hours.
