Salt Bae’s dark side: Employees accuse him of wage theft and discrimination

when it comes to b The owner of the salt One thinks of a mixture of glamor, entertainment, luxury and money. But the Turkish butcher restaurant and its real name Nusret Gokce, it seems that he has a dark face that hides a completely different reality behind it than the one that is being flaunted on social media and in the newspapers. The magazine talked about it Business interestedthat interviewed nine former workers working at various Salt Bae restaurants, who described them as “A tyrant obsessed with wealth and excess».

Salt Bae: From a Millionaire’s Empire to Accusations of Discrimination

It became famous thanks to a video from 2017 – in which Gökçe is seen sprinkling a steak with salt in a gesture that later became “trademark”, dropping grains from above on the elbow and then onto the meat – Salt Bay has built a million dollar empire He opened 22 steakhouses called “Nasr It”. This is what the world sees. On the other hand, there are allegations of theft of confidential information and violations of labor laws. Some former employees testify who, in addition, speak of a “work culture steeped in testosterone, misogyny and discrimination.”
She said, “You feel like you’re worth so much less and not respected.” Business interested A former reservations clerk at Nasr It Miami, it could have been his colleagues They were forced to wear clothes that looked appropriate “to go dancing in clubs». But there are also those who report “real theft”. A former Dubai employee, food runner, “guilty” of accidentally delivering a bag of leftover meat to the wrong table, Bey would have cut 500 dirhams, about $140, in the tip. To note this time isInsiders. and alwaysInsiders We read about another employee who was forced to pay 3,000 dirhams, about $816, because his table was left unpaid.

Salt Bae, “The Cruz Affair”

Some of the women then reported that they were “asked to wear baggy clothes and harassed by their male colleagues.” To the former bartender of Nasr It New York, Elizabeth CruzHe would ask the general manager to “wear a short skirt, heels, and a T-shirt” on the first day on the job. After the manager found out that Cruz was Dominican, he allegedly told her, “My wife is Dominican. I know what a woman is like. Cruz would interpret that statement as ‘one Referring to his alleged sexual promiscuityDespite feeling insulted, she accepted the request. Allegedly, her male classmates began harassing her. A man told her she should work as a stripper – he’s still reading Business interested Another insisted that she go out with him, following her home despite her begging him to stop. Cruz asserted in the complaint that the Turkish employees, Salt Bae NationalsThey were not forced to wear loose clothing.” After several days of the seizures described The waiter was firedCase is still pending. According to the American magazine, there are several former employees who have alleged that they have been discriminated against. Very different treatment compared to that for Turkish colleagues, better treated.

Salt Bay, “The Maher Affair”

In a complaint filed in November 2021, Angelo MaherA former bartender at Nusr-Et New York, he said he was fired on the grounds of “nationality discrimination”. Despite his “excellent previous job performance”, he was not rehired after the easing of Covid restrictions, as was the case for Turkish workers.
According to MaherThe citizens of Salt Bay were not reprimanded for their mistakes It also happened to colleagues of other nationalities.” Maher, who is from Latin America, was reportedly called “but Hispanic” by one of his colleagues and allegedly experienced “psychological and physical anguish” because the workplace had become “a place of physical intimidation and direct discrimination against non-employees.” Turks”. Again, the case is still pending.

Luxury Salt Bae? «interface here everything is cheesy»

Another aspect that emerges from the complaints is the fact that the restaurants’ lavish opulence is a “façade to disguise vulgar managerial choices”. “Everything from napkins to glasses is cheap,” said a former waiter at Nusr-Et London. Even the clothes leave something to be desired: «polyester uniform They were the most awful thing I’ve ever worn. According to other sources, “waiters who made mistakes would have had to make up for them by paying out of their own money.”

Salt Bae and Economic Conventions

Too many allegations. and several lawsuits filed which, however, Pai would have dismissed, preferred Reaching economic agreements This is to avoid discussing issues in court. In 2019 he would pay $230,000 to four former employees, and in 2020 he would pay $300,000 to prevent a class action lawsuit in New York from going to a grand jury.

In Defense of Salt Bae: The Lawyer’s Word

The lawyer representing Gökçe commented, “The allegations are nothing more than a restatement of old lawsuits that were challenged and settled long ago. Unfortunately, high-profile restaurants and celebrity chefs are often the target of false allegations. Nusrat has employed more than a thousand employees around the world: It’s a shame that some of the old lawsuits and some unflattering remarks should overshadow the massive effort to maintain a global workforce in restaurants. This effort that emerged during the pandemic. Not to mention the contributions made by Salt Bae to set up a mobile kitchen and provide more than 6,000 hot meals to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.”