Hooters’ Abrupt, Virus-Driven Worker Layoffs Spark Lawsuit

Two ex-Hooters employees say the restaurant’s unexpected firing of nearly 700 workers in Florida amid the Covid-19 pandemic violated a federal law requiring advance notice of mass layoffs.

Hooters issued the first and only written notices on March 25, the date of termination, and didn’t give any justification for why it failed to notify the employees sooner, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Florida federal court. The unexpected layoffs “had a devastating economic impact” on those affected.

Ashton Scott and Amanda Seals, who worked at Hooters locations in Florida, sued under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, commonly ...