Migliaccio and Rathod LLP is investigating the nationwide closure of Red Lobster locations for potential violations of the WARN Act and is considering a lawsuit against Red Lobster.
Tuesday morning, Red Lobster abruptly announced that it would close approximately 50 locations. Employees do not appear to have been given any notice of this decision, and many are taking to social media to voice their shock and displeasure at this. With little to no notice of this apparently given to most store employees, many will have to hurry to find new employment opportunities.
A restaurant liquidator has likewise announced an auction of large amounts of kitchen equipment and other items from these Red Lobster locations. It seems clear that this is a mass layoff that employees were not warned about, potentially in violation of the WARN Act. Our office is considering whether a lawsuit against Red Lobster would be appropriate.
Potential Red Lobster Lawsuit
Red Lobster was founded in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida by Bill Darden. The chain quickly become a national favorite and opened locations across the country. Despite this, the brand has seen some challenges in recent years, particularly with high volatility among seafood prices.
The brand seems to have given no indication to employees that it would be closing a large number of stores this week. If you have been recently laid off from Red Lobster, we would like to hear your story.
Red Lobster and The Warn Act
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act is a federal law passed in 1988 that requires employers with 100 or more full time employees to provide at least 60 days of notice for planned mass layoffs. While there are exceptions, generally speaking, if an entire job site or plant is closed, this notice must be provided so that employees can begin seeking alternative employment. Similarly, notice must be given when 50 or more employees are to be laid off at one location.
Migliaccio and Rathod believes that there are potential violations of the WARN Act with the recent mass layoffs. Our office is investigating the potential Red Lobster for a lawsuit under the WARN Act.
Were you terminated from Red Lobster?
If you received such a notice, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call at (202) 470-3520.
The lawyers at Migliaccio & Rathod LLP have years of experience in class action litigation against large corporations, including in cases involving mass layoffs such as this. More information about our current cases and investigations is available on our blog.