
3

"This Howell steak-and-seafood restaurant was the workplace of at least one former employee who publicly objected to returning during the pandemic because of an immunocompromised family member, helping trigger social-media allegations that management used intimidating recall tactics and fired staff who refused to return. Management says it was trying to comply with early PPP documentation requirements and that a majority of laid-off employees did return; the restaurant later experienced a drop in business after the posts went viral. Historical state records show wage investigations dating to 2013 that resulted in modest back-pay payments, and a later audit of tip-pool practices at the location (from an earlier operating period) led to corrective payments to tipped employees." - Brenna Houck