OCALA – A former Dunkin Donuts employee filed a lawsuit against her employers over allegations of refusing to pay minimum wage and overtime.
Adriana Gonzalez filed a claim Jan. 15 in the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division against SSRM1 LLC, Marie Burleson, Mike Shea and Samuel Beneby, citing violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, violation of the Florida Minimum Wage Act and wrongful termination.
According to the complaint, SSRM1 owned and operated a Dunkin Donuts at 1561 Bella Cruz Drive in Lady Lake, where the defendants managed employees, including Gonzalez. Gonzalez began working at the Dunkin Donuts in January 2014, and she claims that from the time of her employment, the defendants routinely refused to pay her fully for hours worked.
Gonzalez alleges that she was not paid the 2014 Florida minimum wage rate of $7.93 per hour and that the defendants would change her time card to report less hours worked, effectively avoiding paying overtime. On June, 24, 2014, the plaintiff claims to have asserted her rights to the defendants, and on June 25, 2014, Gonzalez was terminated for refusing to work longer than for what she was paid, the complaint states.
Gonzalez seeks wages found to be due and owing, liquidated damages for unpaid wages, prejudgment interest in the event liquidated damages are not rewarded and attorney’s fees. She is represented by Robert B. Buchanan and David B. Goulfine of Siboni & Buchanan PLLC in Ocala.
U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Florida, Ocala Division Case number 5:16-CV-00022-JSM-PRL