More than 1,900 current and former Denny's workers in Western New York are eligible to share $440,000 in restitution after a state investigation found they were not fully paid for long workdays.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the settlement Thursday with Reveille Management LLC and Top Line Restaurants Inc., which operate 23 Denny's locations across Western New York.
The attorney general's office said the companies failed to consistently provide "spread of hours" pay, an additional hour at the state minimum wage required when a restaurant employee's workday lasts longer than 10 hours. The rule applies to the full span of a workday, including meal breaks, rest periods and time between shifts.
The investigation began in December 2024 after an employee filed a complaint. A review of payroll and timekeeping records found that at least 1,900 workers completed more than 20,000 qualifying shifts without proper compensation since 2019, according to the attorney general's office.
A settlement administrator will contact eligible workers by mail, email or text with information about filing a claim. The companies will pay up to $40,000 beyond the restitution amount to cover administration costs, and none of the settlement money will return to the franchise owners.
The settlement also requires the companies to update employee handbooks and earnings statements, train workers and managers on wage laws, establish a complaint contact and submit compliance reports to the state for three years. Retaliation against current or former workers who participated in the investigation is prohibited.
The companies are owned by Arizona residents Glenn and Tina Beattie and operate restaurants in at least five states, according to the state.
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