Lawsuit Alleges Ann Arbor Noodle Bar Owner Wrongly Fired Worker for Contracting COVID-19 | Eater Detroit

"A former employee, Nicolas Prada, has filed a lawsuit alleging he was wrongfully terminated after contracting COVID-19 in late June. Prada says he began showing symptoms around June 24, notified his employer he could not work, tested positive on June 27, and self-quarantined for two weeks per Washtenaw County Health Department guidance; the business posted on July 1 that it temporarily closed for professional sanitizing following a positive case. After seeking to return on July 10, Prada alleges owner Yong Hum Yon called on July 11, blamed him for contracting the virus—citing purported social media evidence of partying—and told him “for PR reasons it would be best for you not to come back to work.” The complaint claims retaliation and alleges the restaurant illegally denied 80 hours of paid sick leave guaranteed under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (while noting a small-business exemption exists), and also alleges an unlawful tip pool in which senior servers receive larger shares and the restaurant takes a 5% “house cut” of server tips per shift. Prada is seeking unspecified damages, sick-leave compensation, and attorney fees; the suit arrives amid broader concerns about restaurant workers’ health risks, lack of insurance, and data showing restaurants and bars accounted for 14.3% of new recorded outbreaks in the state." - Brenna Houck