A major owner of a franchise of grill restaurants was recently sued by previous managers who claimed they were retaliated against for being whistleblowers. In this out-of-state situation, the owner of the company, known as Muscle Maker Grill, is facing a minimum of two separate whistleblower suits. It is worth noting that the law protects whistleblowers in Wisconsin, as these individuals are willing to take on the personal risk of speaking up about potentially dangerous violations at their employers’ organizations.
The man who owns multiple Muscle Maker Grill restaurants reportedly terminated a manager for talking with a federal investigator. The investigation was being handled by the Department of Labor. The male manager recently filed the lawsuit, which happens to be the second one within the past year against the eatery owner.
In the summer of 2013, the owner was sued by another previous manager. This individual said she was terminated after she complained when the owner told her to throw away job applications from black individuals. The original. founder of the eatery said that the employees of the franchise owner who is under fire in this current situation aren’t in any way affiliated with the restaurant he founded and now chairs.
Individuals in Wisconsin may be protected as a whistleblower if they in good faith believe that a company is disobeying the law and they report this either externally or internally. Each case is different, and addressing it effectively can be a complex process. Having a strong knowledge about whistleblower-related laws may improve a person’s chances of winning his or her particular case in our state.
Source: mycentraljersey.com, “Muscle Maker Grill franchise owner hit with new whistleblower lawsuit as feds investigate“, Sergio Bichao, April 24, 2014
