When
you were last at The Cheesecake Factory, did you know that the person
who scribbled down your order doesn't have any paid sick days? Did you
know the person who made your Mud Pie Mojo at Coldstone Creamery is very
likely earning under $9 an hour? If she's working 40 hours a week,
that's an annual income of $19,000 -- without taking a single weekday
off.The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a New York-based nonprofit, tries to raise awareness about the plight of low wage restaurant workers. In its newly updated 2012 Diner's Guide, the group rates some of the country's most well-known chain restaurants on how they treat their employees. And according to the report, almost none of them treat them well at all.
- Pay: Do any of the tipped workers earn less than $5 an hour, and are any of the non-tipped workers making less than $9? ROC-United deems both of these to be a non-livable wage, and it's very likely that many of the employees are actually earning the federal minimum wage for tipped workers of $2.13 an hour. This "sub-minimum wage" was originally intended to be half the ordinary minimum wage, but it's plummeted in comparison over the last two decades, frozen since 1991 due to the restaurant industry's lobby, the National Restaurant Association, and the man at its helm, Herman Cain.
- Paid sick days: Do employees have to forgo wages when they get the flu?
- Ability for advancement: Have at least half of current employees been promoted in their time on the job? ROC-United argues that this indicates whether these jobs could ever be parlayed into secure, forward-moving careers.
- Employer ethics: ROC-United deems a restaurant chain is taking the "high road to profitability" if it participates in its "Restaurant Industry Roundtable," which it says is devoted to promoting sustainable business practices.
The list of chain restaurants that fail to make the grade reads like a list of pretty much every well-known restaurant in this here United States. Find out which restaurants are considered great places to work. And read about the four restaurants that are, in the group's view, exceptionally crummy places to work.
1. Applebee's
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.2. Arby's
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.3. Baskin-Robbins
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of employees have ever moved up a position.4. Bob Evans
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.5. Bojangles'
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. Non-tipped wages earn under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.6. Boston Market
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.7. Buffalo Wild Wings
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. Non-tipped wages earn under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.8. Burger King
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.9. California Pizza Kitchen
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.10. Captain D's Seafood Kitchen
Tipped wages are under $5 an hour. Non-tipped wages earn under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.11. The Cheesecake Factory
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.12. Chick-Fil-A
The lowest tipped wage is under $9 an hour. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.13. Chili's Grill & Bar
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.14. Chuck E. Cheese's
The lowest tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.15. Cold Stone Creamery
The lowest tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.16. Cracker Barrel
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.17. Dairy Queen
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour.18. Denny's
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.19. Domino's Pizza
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.20. Dunkin' Donuts
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.21. Einstein Bros. Bagels
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.22. Friendly's
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. No paid sick days.23. Hard Rock Cafe
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.24. Hooters
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.25. Houlihan's
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.26. IHOP Restaurants
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.27. Jack In The Box
The lowest tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.28. KFC
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.29. Legal Sea Foods
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.30. McDonald's
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.31. Outback Steakhouse
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.32. Panda Express
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.33. Panera Bread
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.
34. Papa John's
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.35. Pizza Hut
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.36. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.37. Quiznos
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.38. Sonic
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.39. Starbucks
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days.40. T.G.I. Friday's
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.41. Taco Bell
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.42. Waffle House
The lowest tipped wage is under $5 an hour. The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.43. Wendy's
The lowest non-tipped wage is under $9 an hour. No paid sick days. Less than half of current employees have ever moved up.Source: AOL