Pizza workers talked with the feds, then owner fired them in Colorado, officials say
Two Colorado pizza workers were fired by their boss shortly after speaking to federal investigators about their job, officials said.
Now a complaint has been filed against the owner of ZdN Inc., Shawna Bingham, who also operates Blackjack Pizza & Salads franchise in Firestone, accusing her of intimidating and retaliating against her employees, the U.S. Department of Labor said in a Jan. 17 news release.
Bingham is accused of telling a worker she was “appalled” the department was investigating her restaurant for what she believed was about her pay practice, the news release said.
A federal investigator had come to the restaurant to investigate the potential issue. During that visit, the owner called in two off-duty workers, who were then interviewed by the investigator, the release said.
Later in the day, Bingham fired the two employees, officials said in the release.
Bingham was then accused of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act for intimidating and retaliating against her workers.
“A U.S. Department of Labor investigation found the employers illegally terminated two workers who allegedly submitted a complaint and participated in a departmental investigation, both of which are protected activities,” said Regional Solicitor John Rainwater in Denver.
Firestone is about 30 miles north of Denver.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Pizza workers talked with the feds, then owner fired them in Colorado, officials say."
