Lawsuit Filed By Former Pizza Hut Delivery Drivers Claim Company’s Fees Cut Into Workers’ Tips

(Adam A. Koch)

It’s not easy being a delivery person — you’re entrusted with getting hot food to its proper destination quickly, and then have face-to-face interactions with customers. The better you perform at your job, the more likely you are to get a nice tip for all that hard work and driving around. Two former pizza delivery drivers who worked for Pizza Hut are suing the company, claiming that their work wasn’t always rewarded as it should’ve been.

The Associated Press cites a report from the Daily Gazette of Schenectady (which is behind a paywall), saying the lawsuit was filed in Albany federal court, and alleges that the pizza chain violates New York labor laws by pocketing mandatory delivery fees.

The plaintiffs say many customers get the impression that the delivery fees are part of the gratuity and will be included in the workers’ tips, but instead, drivers don’t get any of that money.

One of the plaintiffs was a delivery driver for a Pizza Hut in Schenectady from 2005 to 2012, while the other is a Syracuse resident. Their attorneys are seeking a class-action lawsuit that would consider all delivery drivers for the company.