Nearly all of the Boston Markets in New Jersey were slapped with stop-work orders and directed to shut down, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) said.
The NJDOL issued 27 stop-work orders – there are 31 Boston Markets in the state and 310 nationwide – after discovering myriad workers’ rights violations. Alleged violations include the withholding of more than $600,000 in back wages owed to 314 workers, the NJDOL said. In total, Boston Chicken of NJ owes close to $2.6 million, including restitution, fines, fees and penalties.
Other alleged infractions include unpaid/late payment of wages, hindrance of the investigation, failure to pay minimum wage, records violations, failure to pay earned sick leave, and failure to maintain records for earned sick leave.
“With restaurants across the country, Boston Market needs to set a better example for fair treatment of its workers,” said Joseph Petrecca, Assistant Commissioner of NJDOL’s Division of Wage and Hour and Contract Compliance.
“Thanks to the Murphy Administration, NJDOL has the tools to carry out large-scale enforcement efforts within the state so we can work with employers to stop worker exploitation, create sustainable change, and prevent future violations,” Petrecca said.
Boston Chicken of NJ has requested a hearing to challenge the state’s findings, the agency said.
The following Meadowlands-area locations have been affected. For a complete list of locations in the state, see the NJDOL press release. Below is the complete list of Boston Market locations that were issued a stop-work order:
- 491 Ridge Road, North Arlington
- 314 Essex St., Lodi
- 180 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack
- 21-20 Broadway, Fair Lawn
- 321 Broad St., Ridgefield
- 1160 US-46, Clifton
- 1342 Clifton Ave., Clifton
NJDOL has issued 138 stop-work orders since this power was expanded in July 2019.
