The anonymous worker, writing under the username u/limearitaa, went viral on Reddit’s “Antiwork” forum after describing his treatment at a Papa John’s restaurant in Florida. Posted Thursday, his story has garnered nearly 13,000 votes.
“Is what my boss did to me even legal? I’m f**king livid,” the worker titled his post.
The employee said he had “scored some good points with the boss” over his period of working at the restaurant because he’d never missed a day, covered other people’s shifts on short notice and made deliveries in good time.
“So when I went in on my day off to get some discount ‘za and he said ‘don’t worry man, I got you’ when I pulled out my wallet, I wasn’t super surprised,” the employee said.
The worker said he started with a modest order, but then the boss told him, “Don’t be shy, get whatever you want, seriously.”
Thinking that his manager was just being generous, the employee ordered an extra large pizza with abundant toppings. The boss “practically forced” him to add on a large order of wings and 2-liter sodas, said the employee, who chalked it all up to him being a “nice guy.”
“Come today when we receive our paychecks, and he deducted my entire fking order from my wages,” said the furious worker. “Like 40 fking dollars, and to add insult to injury, I’m pretty sure there was an extra couple taken out as a tip.”
Upon being confronted, the boss allegedly said that “I got you” only meant he was helping the worker “with the convenience of not having to take out cash.”
The alleged pizza worker’s post quickly incensed internet readers.
“He 100% just comped the pizza, and pocketed $40 from your paycheck,” said one comment.
Another user suggested, “Next time he says he needs a shift covered, say ‘don’t worry I got you,’ and when he [asks] why you didn’t show up, say you meant you’ll call around.”
Unlike some other states, Florida has no laws regulating what deductions can be taken from an employee’s paycheck or whether an employee must consent prior to a deduction, according to EmploymentLawHandbook.com.
As a result, the state’s employers have relatively broad discretion. They can deduct pay for required uniforms, required tools and other items necessary for a job. They may also deduct wages because of a cash shortage or damage to the employer’s property.
However, in accordance with federal law, an employer cannot take any of these deductions if they bring the worker’s pay below federal minimum wage.
Papa John’s has weathered multiple waves of social media backlash in recent years.
In March, some people called for boycotts of the chain after independent franchise owner Christopher Wynne refused to close nearly 200 stores in Russia, despite the country’s internationally condemned invasion of Ukraine.
In 2018, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter resigned after using the n-word during a training session on race.
And in 2017, the white supremacist website the Daily Stormer called Papa John’s pizza the “official pizza of the alt-right” after Schnatter blamed his company’s losses on NFL players protesting police brutality during the national anthem.
Newsweek reached out to u/limearitaa and Papa John’s for comment.
