A legal battle has ensued following the sudden closure of the Shari's restaurant chain, with a former employee spearheading a class action lawsuit against the company on behalf of her displaced colleagues. Heidi Woebbeking, who worked for Shari's for over half a year, alleges she was terminated without just cause and asserts the company failed to provide the legally required 60-day notice of termination, a fact reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive on KOIN.
Nathan Ring, Woebbeking's attorney, contends that the actions of Shari's are a clear-cut willful disregard for their legal obligations, stating on KOIN, "cannot establish that they had any reasonable grounds or basis for believing their actions were not in violation of the WARN Act," in documents filed with the court. Meanwhile, as this legal contest unfolds, affected employees find themselves grappling with the fallout of the closures, which materialized with limited communication and notice.
The shutter of the Shari's establishments not only placed its workers in predicament but also left the Oregon Lottery in the lurch, owed over $900,000 from the dining chain. A spokesperson for the Lottery has indicated some success in reaching Shari's executives, affirming on OregonLive, "We have been sending emails and have acknowledgement they are being received," however, there's uncertainty around the repayment of the outstanding debt.
Notably, ex-employees were informed of the restaurant chain’s closure in a less-than-personal fashion, through a brief email from the company's leadership on Oct. 20, as disclosed by OregonLive.
