LANSING, Mich. — Another employee at Zaytoon in Lansing is alleging not being paid properly for their work.
Last week, I talked with Noor Ahmed and her three siblings about their time working at Zaytoon. Ahmed alleges that for five months she was not paid for her work at the Mediterranean restaurant.
Ahmed and her siblings have all filed wage and benefit complaints with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and now, a fifth employee has come to us with allegations that she wasn't properly paid.
Irma Foltz said she was a manager at Zaytoon in Lansing for a little over a month.
“I was supposed to be making about $600 a week for the work I was doing, but he was trying to pay me $5 an hour,” she said.
Like the four siblings, Foltz has also filed a wage and benefit complaint, and all five of those complaints are currently being reviewed.
But the allegations go even deeper. Foltz says instead of paying some people in cash, the owner Samy Aburashed would pay them in drugs.
“He told me he thought that it was better for him to give them the drugs as a opposed to anyone who were on streets,” Foltz said.
We were able to talk to Aburashed over the phone, who denied all allegations and said he’s filed a cease and desist against Foltz.
“She's just an upset employee who is trying to get back at me,” he said.
Foltz no longer works at the restaurant, but she sent us pictures that were allegedly taken in Zaytoon’s kitchen. The photos show food and trash on the ground and dirty counter surfaces.
Aburashed declined to answer if those pictures were actually taken at Zaytoon.
The Eaton County Health Department did say Zaytoon had two violations at its last inspection, one being facility cleanliness.
“I have a meeting with them tomorrow, and that is my business, and the violations were taken care of,” Aburashed said.
Foltz said she has no ill intent towards Aburashed or his business, she’s just concerned about the customers and other employees.
“I don’t want their store to close or anything, I just want them to follow the rules and protocols,” she said.
