Hotel Henry employees have filed a lawsuit against their owners alleging salary theft and harassment

Buffalo, New York (WIVB) – Tim magazine once called Hotry Henry one of the “great places in the world,” and the workers we spoke to said that the accusations against their owners were one of the things they always wanted to do. But they had to stop abusing themselves and their followers.

The 88-room Henry Hotel, formerly the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, is home to the historic Richard Olympus Campus and is considered one of the best hotels in the country.
But the staff say it’s a different story behind the scenes.

“Their culture is consistently short handicrafts, they constantly cut corners, in terms of the customer and the employee,” said Gabriel Burgos Niev.

Behind the closed doors, we were dealing with a lot of racism, a lot of homosexuals, a lot of transphobia, ”said team leader Ahshanaye Riley.

Ahshanai Rey and Gabriel Burgos Neves, one of the five plaintiffs, strongly criticized the administration and forced them to work without pay. For group events, they say, the bills contain secrets that are thought to be useful tips for employees.

In fact, no more than 20 percent of the fee is paid to servers. 100% will be kept at the hotel, said their lawyer Ian Hayes.

And when customers ask for a reward for their employees, Riley says, “Yes, I do lie on their faces.”

The COVID epidemic has led to a reduction in the cost of wholesale workers, but workers say the hotel management has occasionally forced them to work without pay. Gabriel tells us about a call from one of his wives.

The business is trying to make money again. So, there is no pay, but I know you are just sitting on your donkey collecting unemployment. I can make a phone call to the state and you will lose your job. ”

This afternoon, Henry’s hotel lawyer issued a statement saying:

This can lead to disagreements about business. Hotel owners and management believe that the key to customer satisfaction is a positive working environment. Every business segment will benefit if your co-workers feel the support and satisfaction and if management is available and committed to listening and resolving employee concerns. Even in the most positive workplace, there are disagreements and interpretations of different facts – and Hotel Henry’s management is committed to hearing and resolving all of these disagreements in good faith.

Nonetheless, my clients deny the claims in this case, their misrepresentation in the workplace, and the allegations in the complaint. My client is looking forward to defending these allegations and telling the story in court.