'What are my options?': Restaurant owner fires server and holds $2000 for ransom to force signing of illegal NDA

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Jan 27, 2023 6:00 PM EST

Working in the service industry is often stressful and traumatic for a number of reasons. On the one hand, you're often treated poorly by clientele, who mostly regard you as subhuman because of your line of work. On the other hand, you're at the mercy of the unrealistic expectations and unethical practices of the small business owner who owns the place, and—let's be honest—these people often shouldn't be allowed to operate a business or have responsibility over the livelihood of others.

These owners are often willfully negligent of labor practices and standards, more likely to laugh in your face at the request for fair treatment than to take on board any meaningful feedback. Margins are slim in this business, and despite already being paid pennies for your work, when it comes to their bottom line, you're their most costly—yet most controllable—resource.

This worker shared their experience to Reddit's r/Serverlife subreddit, sharing how they had been fired for questionable reasons, and their ex-employer was now holding $2000 of their pay as ransom to force them to sign an NDA. They shared their story in order to as the service subreddit for advice, of which they received plenty.

. . .

Keep reading to see this story and the advice the original poster received. For more, check out this job advertisement for a server that sparked debates online over the outrageously low wage.