Hooters’ Rules Inappropriately Restrained Employees

A California Hooters restaurant violated the National Labor Relations Act by maintaining employment rules that would lead employees to believe they were not free to exercise their rights under the federal labor law, a National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge held May 19 (Hoot Winc, LLC).

The companies doing business as Hooters of Ontario Mills, used overly broad language in framing handbook rules that barred employees from discussing tips with co-workers and customers and prohibited insubordination to managers and disrespect to patrons. Employees would reasonably construe the rules to prohibit NLRA-protected activity, ALJ William Nelson Cates found. ...