A contentious legal dispute has emerged as Zindy Adali Soc Rodas, a former employee of Leo's Oyster Bar, operated by prominent San Francisco restaurateur Anna Weinberg, brought forth allegations of unpaid hours and labor violations, according to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday. Reported by SFGATE, the lawsuit accuses the establishment of failing to pay overtime for hours worked off the clock, systematically delaying wage payments, and tampering with timekeeping records to conceal the actual hours worked.
Filed at the Superior Court of California for San Francisco County, the complaint from Rodas, who was employed from November 2021 to August 2024, claims that beginning in November 2023, she was compelled to start her shift at 11 AM but was instructed by Weinberg to clock in at 2 PM instead. Rodas' attorneys argue that there was a “knowingly and willfully” alteration of work hours registered on the electronic time system to skirt payment of due wages. The documentation of the alleged untimely payment practices includes texts from Weinberg conceding that pay was late, attributing it to unavailable bank funds, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The legal ordeal enveloping Weinberg continues to build, following a series of earlier challenges, including a judicial foreclosure sought by former business partner David Stanton over Weinberg's ownership of multiple establishments, including Tosca Cafe and the now-evicted Park Tavern. A mandatory settlement conference in this case is reportedly set for later this month. Additionally, Leo’s Oyster Bar narrowly avoided eviction in March 2024 for failing to pay $100,000 in rent, which was later settled under conditional terms allowing the restaurant to remain operational.
Attorneys for Rodas are demanding compensation for all work-related expenses, including attorney fees, and are seeking to resolve these allegations through a jury trial. Reaching out for a statement, Weinberg confirmed Rodas' previous employment at her restaurant during a phone call on a Friday afternoon but declined to comment further. Around November 2023, when Rodas' attorneys claimed that Weinberg started issuing personal checks instead of using a payroll system, it raised additional concerns regarding the lack of proper wage tracking.
