Celebrity Chefs' Employment Law Problems

In 1942, Harry Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." I don't know if he was talking about the then current state of restaurant employment laws, but if he was, things have changed since.


Nowadays there are other options, as is evident by the legal troubles of two celebrity chefs.  Jeff Hirsch posted today at Workplace Prof Blog about Mario Batali, et al. agreeing to pay plaintiff former employes $5.25 million to settle allegations regarding alleged tip skimming.  And the AU Labor Forum posted earlier in the week about a discrimination suit filed against Paula Deen.

Mario Batali and Paula Deen on ABC's The Chew

LaborRelated Song of the Week: Sons of Fathers

Sons of Fathers' eponymous single is the LaborRelated song of the week.  It's a stoic song about staying true to values and not compromising  despite what temptations may be offered and what consequences may come.

Some of the lyrics:

...I am working every day to make something of myself, hoping to please all the faces on the shelf

...you can try to change me into something that I'm not

Even though I know what's coming, I remain a righteous man

...I am the son of my father and I do the best I can

It's a good song for a Friday in Lent too.