Lafayette Bar Owner Accused of Taking Cut of Employee’s Tips

Christian Colson filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor after getting fed up with the owner of The Wurst Biergarten taking part of the tip money made by his employees, not him.

According to KLFY, Colson said everything was great with the job until the owner demand all tips made be split equally between himself, his co-workers and the owner. He found that was "unethical". Colson invested the legalities behind the owner's demands and found them to be "illegal".

Colson told KLFY he had been told, "on really busy days he (the boss) would get some sort of tip-out for bar backing". Colson did not have a problem with that at first. It wasn't until later that he realized the owner wanted a cut of tip money for hardly doing any work.

Colson recalled a time during ArtWalk when the establishment made $700 in tip money and the owner of The Wurst Biergarten requested his share.

He requested that we split that equally with him. -Christian Colson to KLFY

Colson went on to say, "That was the straw that broke the camel's back". Colson quit his job at The Wurst Biergarten after the mandatory 3-way spit of tips during ArtWalk.

Colson says he's hoping to get the word out to everyone in Lafayette that this type of action is not right, it's not legal and to not let it happen to you.