April-June 2025

OLS investigated Thacher Restaurant Group LLC dba Wingstop for alleged violations of the Secure Scheduling Ordinance. The franchisee operates several Wingstop restaurants in Seattle and has approximately 500 employees statewide. OLS alleged the employer failed to provide employees with 14 days’ advance notice of work schedules. Thacher Restaurant Group LLC settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $97,466.45 to 293 Seattle workers and $332.65 to the City of Seattle. 

OLS investigated Din Tai Fung (Pacific Place) Restaurant, LLC, Din Tai Fung (University Village) Restaurant, LLC, and DTF Prep Seattle, LLC Din Tai Fung (Din Tai Fung) for alleged violations of the PSST and Wage Theft Ordinances. There are approximately 590 employees at the three Seattle locations OLS investigated, and the restaurants’ parent company has at least 1,225 employees in the United States. OLS alleged that Din Tai Fung’s attendance policy improperly deterred employee use of PSST and that it failed to provide employees with all required rest and meal breaks. The companies settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $567,361.32 to 1,245 employees. Din Tai Fung also agreed to provide employees with notices of employment information, develop and implement a written PSST policy, and implement meal and rest break policies. And, following OLS’ investigation, Din Tai Fung eliminated its attendance points policy. 

OLS investigated McMenamins Brew Pubs, Inc. dba McMenamins Six Arms for alleged violations of the Secure Scheduling Ordinance. McMenamins employs over 5,000 employees at over 50 locations worldwide. OLS alleged that McMenamins failed to issue premium pay to its employees at Six Arms in all instances where it was owed due to employer-initiated changes to employee work schedules, and that McMenamins failed to document whether schedule changes were employer-initiated or employee-initiated and in some cases failed to document whether an exception to premium pay applied. McMenamins agreed to settle the allegations for a total of $90,949.59 to 131 workers including back wages, interest, liquidated damages, and civil penalties, plus a fine of $691.87 payable to the City of Seattle. McMenamins also agreed to implement an updated Secure Scheduling policy as part of the settlement agreement. 

OLS investigated Onni Properties, LLC dba Level Hotel for alleged violations of the Protecting Hotel Employees from Injury Ordinance and the Hotel Employees Safety Protections Ordinance. Level Hotel operates in South Lake Union with 272 guest rooms. OLS found that Onni failed to post required signage on the back of each guest room door noting its compliance with the Hotel Employees Safety Protections Ordinance. OLS also found that Onni failed to deploy panic buttons to employees during its first year of operation, and once it did implement panic buttons, Onni failed to provide them to maintenance workers who were assigned to work in guest rooms. Onni agreed to settle the alleged violations of the Hotel Employee Safety Protections Ordinance for a total of $17,674.65 in civil penalties to 31 aggrieved workers. Onni also agreed to post the required signage on the back of each guest room door, and to distribute panic buttons to all employees who work in or make deliveries to guest rooms. 

OLS investigated Pacific River, LLC (Pacific River Security) for alleged violations of the Paid Sick and Safe Time (PSST) and Wage Theft Ordinances. The security company has approximately 89 employees in Washington and Oregon and operates one location in Seattle. OLS alleged that Pacific River Security failed to provide employees with a written PSST policy or notice of PSST accrual, failed to properly accrue employee PSST, interfered with PSST use, failed to provide all required rest and meal breaks, and failed to pay employees for all hours worked. The company settled the allegations and agreed to pay a total financial remedy of $252,526.06 to 147 workers. Pacific River Security also agreed to provide current employees with back accrual of PSST, provide employees with notification of PSST balances each pay period, develop and implement PSST and rest and meal break policies, and implement a time tracking system to ensure all hours are tracked and paid.