Lawyer Says Mansfield TGI Friday's Workers Paid to Leave Class Action Lawsuit

A worker at the Mansfield TGI Friday’s was reportedly given $82,000 as part of an effort by the restaurant chain to settle a national class action lawsuit

Justin Swartz, a lawyer representing workers suing T.G.I. Friday’s said that the settlement was part of a strategy to limit the amount of plaintiffs in the case according to the Sun Chronicle.

According to Swartz, a second employee at the Mansfield Crossing location received about $47,000.

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres in New York, Swartz called the strategy, ”like a game of Whack-a-Mole.”

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit allege that tipped workers at TGI Friday’s are not paid fair wages with requirements by tipped staff to share tip proceeds with non-tipped workers.

The lawsuit hopes to recover minimum wages, overtime pay, tips, unlawful deductions and other wages from past and present TGI Friday’s workers.

Judge Torres is expected to decide soon whether 30,000 additional employees can join the lawsuit.