Panera Bread Discrimination Settlement Approved for Workers
By Matt O’Donnell
A class action lawsuit settlement for Panera Bread workers was preliminarily approved by a federal judge this week. Around 200 to 300 current and former employees of Panera Bread franchisee Covelli Enterprises will share in the class action settlement, which will resolve allegations the company discriminated against black employees by denying them promotions and relegating them to back-of-the-store positions to keep them away from customers.
The Panera Bread discrimination settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit filed by a former Covelli employee who claims the company discriminated against “fat, black or ugly” people by keeping them off the cash registers and out of management positions.
Covelli denies having discriminatory practices, but has agreed to the class action lawsuit settlement to avoid the costs and distractions of defending the case.
Under the terms of the Panera Bread class action settlement, anyone who worked for Covelli’s Panera franchises from January 11, 2008 through January 11, 2012 for more than one year, and who applied for or wanted a promotion, can get compensation of 70 cents for each hour they worked after their first year to cover alleged lost opportunities. The amount represents what they would have been paid through a one-level promotion.
The terms of the Panera Bread worker class action lawsuit settlement will be published in newspapers in areas where Covelli franchises operate.
Updated September 21st, 2012
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6 thoughts onPanera Bread Discrimination Settlement Approved for Workers
I worked for Panera Bread from 2011-2017 and was denied promotions for reasons of “attitude and appearance”. I was allowed to perform assistant manager duties without proper compensation or title. I don’t recall filing a claim for the current lawsuits, am I still eligible to receive compensation?
African American was interviewed and told me i had the job but neva got. Ack with work force one
I included in this class action,can you give me the number so I can see when they are sending the checks
the claims admin number is 855 948 0304. checks are delayed we are waiting for the final funding payment from panera bread. i have been waiting since august. im so aggravated at this whole situation. i want my money!
I never got anything in the mail for the lawsuit and i worked for panera in 2017
I worked at the Panera bread in Berea Ohio. I worked for a very short time in 2012 where I got fed up with working in the kitchen mostly by myself. Them giving me task that should have taken more than one person to do. But they insist I do the tasks plus I was a full time college student also.