Unethical Business Practices in the Foodservice Industry

Abstract

This article examines how unethical management styles manifest themselves within the restaurant industry in the United States. We look at (a) individual case histories of violations committed against particular foodservice workers and (b) more general patterns of abuse that have arisen throughout the restaurant industry. The effect of slackening regulations and enforcement of labor laws by the Department of Labor, as well as other methods selected by disgruntled employees in an effort to redress abuse on the part of managers when it comes to wages and working conditions, are also examined. The problems of labor abuse in the foodservice industry are a reflection of negative leadership behavior in U.S. business as a whole. Some recommendations are made as possible considerations for solutions to these problems.