Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Servers for Darden Restaurants have filed a federal lawsuit claiming underpayment. The lawsuit, which began with just two plaintiffs, has now expanded to fifty and could reach class-action status.

ORLANDO, FL (Catholic Online) - Darden Restaurants is one of the nation's largest restaurant companies with multiple chains including Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52.

Unhappy employees say they were compelled to work off the clock and to do an overplus of non-tipped work, such as cleaning.

Since many servers rely on tips to make ends meet, doing extensive untipped labor can prove costly.

Darden said in the original filing it feels the claims are baseless.

Attorneys are seeking collective-action status for the suit. If granted, they could expand the suit to hundreds or even thousands of employees.

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