STARKVILLE — At least one worker at the Wingstop on Highway 12 West was not surprised last week to learn the location’s former owners are in trouble with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The employee has worked several years at the Starkville Wingstop and told The Dispatch that some workers have received less than the minimum wage of $7.25 for their labor.
Speaking anonymously to The Dispatch for fear of retaliation at work, the employee said Starkville’s Wingstop, like four other Mississippi locations operated by Boss Wings Enterprises — a company owned rapper Rick Ross and his sister Tawanda Roberts — deducted pay for employee uniforms, cash register shortages, safety training and background checks, among other things.
“I had overtime on my own time slips but they said they couldn’t give it to me because it wasn’t in the system,” the employee said.
The Department of Labor released a statement Aug. 11 announcing it had demanded Boss Wings pay more than $114,000 in back wages, liquidated damages and civil penalties. Of that, 244 employees across the five locations, including Starkville, will receive $51,674 in back wages and damages.
“Restaurant industry employees work hard, often for low wages, and many depend on every dollar earned to make ends meet,” DOL Wage and Hour Division District Director Audrey Hall said in the press release. “The law prevents Boss Wing Enterprises LLC from shifting operating costs to workers by deducting the costs of uniforms, cash register shortages or training expenses or to allow a worker’s pay to fall below the minimum wage rate.”
The DOL was contacted for further comment on the Investigation but did not respond by press time.
Calls to Boss Wings were referred to the Wingstop corporate public relations department, which didn’t respond by press time.
The Starkville location’s District Manager Anne Sprouse also declined to comment, saying she was not permitted to speak to anyone about Boss Wings.
Ross did take to his Instagram account Wednesday afternoon to address accountability with a post on his story.
“When you run into business there will be mistakes. But as the biggest boss you never make the same mistake twice,” Ross said in the post. “Accountability, taking accountability is big when you the biggest.”
The Starkville location was sold to Memphis Wings Operations, LLC under a license from Wingstop Franchising, LLC in July, according to a Boss Wings phone operator. The company was formed in June according to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website.
The anonymous employee has not been approached or reached out to the DOL but is glad that something is being done about the situation and that things around the store are finally beginning to improve.
“The new owners are just now getting it going in here,” the employee said. “They are working on getting it all fixed up.”
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