Aramark Class Action Alleges Salary Disclosure Violations in Washington State

Case: A class action lawsuit has been filed against Aramark, alleging the company failed to disclose wage scale, salary range, and benefit details in job postings in Washington state, violating a state law mandating salary transparency.

Consumers Affected: Job seekers who applied for positions with Aramark in Washington state after January 1, 2023.

Court: The class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. Superior Court for the State of Washington in and for the County of Pierce.

Aramark building headquarters

Food Service Giant Accused of Omitting Pay Ranges from Job Postings

Food service company Aramark is under fire from people trying to seek employment at the company in Washington state for engaging in a systematic scheme of failing to include the wage scale, salary range, and general descriptions of all benefits and other compensation in job postings, according to a new lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses the food service and facilities provider, which operates across the US in more than a dozen other countries, of wasting job applicants' valuable time, and breaking state laws while it's at it.

Lawsuit Claims Aramark's Job Listings Misled Washington Applicants

Cherie Burke filed the proposed class action lawsuit against the company after attempting to apply for a job at Aramark in November 2023, but finding the company did not disclose the wage scale, salary range, or benefits offered, in violation of Washington law. Burke said listings offered pay from $16.50 per hour, but did not offer a range or scale of what employees could earn.

She said that as a result of the company’s practices, potential employees couldn’t possibly “evaluate the pay for the position, negotiate that pay, and compare that pay to other available positions in the marketplace,” which in turned harmed the potential employees.

Washington State Law Mandates Salary Transparency in Job Postings

Washington enacted a law, effective January 1, 2023, that said employers with 15 employees or more must disclose in each posting for each job opening, the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant. 

The state joins seven others that have salary range transparency measures, including Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island, Washington, California, and New York. There is an increasing trend towards disclosure and transparency, as it is seen to help with bolstering wage equality overall.

Aramark Joins Growing List of Companies Sued Over Pay Disclosure Violations

Aramark is far from alone in facing legal action in Washington state after the new law was enacted. In November last year, multiple class action lawsuits were filed against major companies including Adidas AG, Home Depot Inc., and Marriott International Inc. accusing the companies of failing to abide by the new transparency measures, Bloomberg reports. In approximately 40 lawsuits, job seekers alleged the companies failed to advertise pay ranges and benefits information.

In April, food chains Chipotle and Qdoba settled separate class action lawsuits over the same issue, paying a total of almost $7 million. 

In the Aramark salary transparency class action lawsuit, Burke is seeking statutory penalties, attorneys’ fees, and costs for anyone who tried to apply for a job at Aramark in Washington after January 1, 2023.

Case Details

  • Lawsuit: Burke v. Aramark Services, Inc. et al.
  • Case Number: 3:24-cv-05488-BHS
  • Court: U.S. Superior Court for the State of Washington in and for the County of Pierce

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

  • Craig J. Ackermann, Brian Denlinger, and Avi Kreitenberg (Ackermann & Tilajef, P.C.)
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