Ruth’s Chris Steak House Defeats Class Status Bid in Wage Suit

Ruth’s Chris Steak House convinced a federal judge in Fort Myers, Fla., to deny a class and collective certification bid brought by a former restaurant server seeking unpaid wages and uniform costs under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the state’s wage law.

Robert Dix, who worked at a Ruth’s Chris location in Bonita Springs, alleges the restaurant required servers to purchase their own uniforms and tools, like wine keys, but didn’t reimburse them for these expenses. He also claims servers were improperly paid a tip-credited wage instead of the applicable minimum for time they spent performing non-tipped work, like ...