How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers Case Study

Re:How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers C... by WalterBright on Monday September 02, 2013 @06:09PM (#6317458)

> Where did you get that idea?

Details of cases I am familiar with, and talking with lawyer friends who tell me that, although it is not supposed to be that way, jurors and judges often give the benefit of any doubt to the perceived underdog.

There's a reason why lawyers carefully dress their clients in certain ways, select jurors based on socioeconomic status, etc.

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Re:How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers C... by fnordfnordfnord on Monday September 02, 2013 @06:14PM (#6317485)

You think a person who makes minimum wage-ish + tips can hire one of your friends to sue their manager / boss / restaurant owner over wage / tip discrepancies? Do you think your coworkers who depend upon their waitstaff job to support their family / college education will agree to testify or be deposed in proceedings against their employer? Have you really thought about this?

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Re:How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers C... by WalterBright on Monday September 02, 2013 @06:38PM (#6317592)

http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/er/labor_standards_bureau/publicati...

States all have their mechanisms where a worker can file a complaint without needing a lawyer.

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Re:How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers C... by fnordfnordfnord on Monday September 02, 2013 @06:56PM (#6317677)

The person assigned to investigate a labor standards complaint will mail the employer a letter informing the employer of the complaint, who filed the complaint and what will happen next.

Since unpaid wage complaints involving minimum wage or overtime issues may affect other current/former employees who are not listed in the complaint, the department may request the employer conduct a self-audit of its place of employment if the complaint before the department proves to be valid.

Yes that sounds like a fantastically powerful tool for workers to wield against their employers. I bet it keeps everything above board. /sarcasm

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Re:How Surveillance Changes Behavior: A Restaurant Workers C... by jplewicke on Monday September 02, 2013 @08:18PM (#6317971)

A lot of employment lawyers will take cases on in exchange for a portion of the damages if you have a valid case. Almost every employment lawyer will listen to you enough to figure out if you might have a case.

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