Can I file a claim from the Dunkin' scheduling settlement?

This settlement is between the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and Salz Management LLC. The $1.5 million in restitution will be distributed to approximately 760 affected workers who were employed at the 24 Dunkin' and Taco Bell locations operated by this franchisee. If you worked at one of these locations and were affected by the scheduling violations, you may be eligible for restitution. There is no public claim form — payments are being handled directly through the DCWP settlement.

What did the Dunkin' franchisee do wrong?

Salz Management LLC violated New York City's Fair Workweek Law by changing employee schedules without proper notice, failing to provide schedules at least 14 days in advance, requiring clopening shifts (closing late at night and opening early the next morning) without employee consent or additional pay, and failing to offer available shifts to existing employees before hiring new staff.

How much will affected workers receive from the Dunkin' settlement?

The total settlement is more than $1.5 million in restitution for approximately 760 workers, plus $155,000 in civil penalties. The exact per-worker amount has not been publicly disclosed and will depend on how the restitution is distributed among the affected employees.

What is the deadline for the Dunkin' Donuts settlement 2026?

This is a government enforcement settlement with no public claim form or claim deadline. The DCWP will distribute the $1.5 million in restitution directly to the approximately 760 affected workers. If you believe you were affected and have not been contacted, reach out to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. For new Fair Workweek complaints, the general statute of limitations is two years from the date of the violation.

How do I file a complaint about fast food scheduling violations in NYC?

You can file a Fair Workweek complaint online through the DCWP website at nyc.gov/dcwp, or by calling 311 and asking to be connected to DCWP. Include your name, employer information, dates and nature of the scheduling violations, and any supporting documentation. DCWP investigates complaints confidentially and it is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for filing.

What is the NYC Fair Workweek Law?

The Fair Workweek Law is a New York City regulation that requires fast food and retail employers to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance, obtain written consent and pay a premium for clopening shifts scheduled less than 11 hours apart, and offer newly available shifts to current employees before hiring new workers. Violations can result in restitution to workers and civil penalties.

Dunkin' Donuts Settlement 2026: Franchisee to Pay $1.5 Million Over NYC Scheduling Violations — 760 Workers Affected

By Steve Levine

Dunkin Donuts Taco Bell $1.5 Million Fast Food Settlement NYC Fair Workweek Scheduling Violations 2026

Published: March 30, 2026

A franchisee operating Dunkin' and Taco Bell locations across New York City has agreed to pay more than $1.5 million to settle allegations that it systematically violated the city's Fair Workweek Law. The settlement, announced by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), covers restitution for approximately 760 fast food workers who were subjected to illegal scheduling practices at 24 locations.

The franchisee, Salz Management LLC, is based in Jericho, Long Island. In addition to Dunkin' and Taco Bell, the company's franchise portfolio includes Wingstop, Wendy's, and Baskin-Robbins. The settlement includes more than $1.5 million in worker restitution plus $155,000 in civil penalties.

What Is the Fair Workweek Law?

New York City's Fair Workweek Law is a set of scheduling protections for fast food and retail workers. Under the law, employers are required to provide work schedules at least 14 days in advance. If an employer changes a schedule after that window, the worker is entitled to a premium payment. The law also regulates "clopening" shifts — situations where an employee closes a store late at night and is scheduled to open the store again early the next morning, with fewer than 11 hours between shifts. Employers must obtain the worker's written consent and pay a $100 premium for each clopening shift.

Additionally, the law requires employers to offer newly available shifts to current employees before hiring outside workers.

What Did the Franchisee Do Wrong?

According to the DCWP investigation, which spanned approximately two years, Salz Management LLC committed multiple violations of the Fair Workweek Law at its 24 Dunkin' and Taco Bell locations in New York City:

Failed to provide advance schedules: The company did not give employees their work schedules at least 14 days before the start of the shift, as required by law.

Illegal clopening shifts: Workers were scheduled to close stores late at night and return to open the next morning without their written consent and without the required $100 premium payment per shift.

Did not offer shifts to existing employees first: When new shifts became available, the company hired additional staff instead of offering those hours to workers already on the payroll.

Changed schedules without proper notice: Employee schedules were altered after the 14-day advance notice window without required premium payments.

How Much Will Affected Workers Receive?

The total settlement is more than $1.5 million in restitution for approximately 760 workers who were employed at the affected locations. In addition, Salz Management LLC will pay $155,000 in civil penalties. The exact per-worker payout has not been publicly disclosed and will depend on how restitution is distributed among the affected employees based on the nature and extent of the violations each worker experienced.

Key Deadlines for the Dunkin' Donuts Settlement

This is a government enforcement settlement, not a traditional class action with a fixed claim deadline. However, there are important timelines to be aware of:

Restitution distribution: The DCWP will distribute the $1.5 million in restitution to the approximately 760 affected workers. The exact timeline for payments has not been publicly announced, but DCWP enforcement settlements are typically distributed within several months of the agreement being finalized.

DCWP complaint deadline: If you are a current or former fast food worker in New York City and believe your employer is violating the Fair Workweek Law, you can file a complaint with DCWP at any time. However, the statute of limitations for Fair Workweek claims is generally two years from the date of the violation, so it is important to act promptly.

Separate QSR Management lawsuit: The city's lawsuit against QSR Management LLC for violations at 21 Staten Island Dunkin' locations is still in its early stages. There is no settlement or deadline in that case yet. Workers at those locations should monitor developments.

How to File a Claim or Complaint

There is no public claim form for the Dunkin' Donuts settlement with Salz Management LLC. The $1.5 million in restitution is being distributed directly to the approximately 760 affected workers through the DCWP enforcement process. If you worked at one of the 24 Dunkin' or Taco Bell locations in Manhattan or Queens operated by Salz Management and have not been contacted about the settlement, you can reach out to DCWP directly.

If you are a fast food worker in New York City and believe your employer is violating the Fair Workweek Law — whether at a Dunkin', Taco Bell, or any other fast food chain — you have the right to file a complaint with the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Here is how:

Online: Visit the DCWP website at nyc.gov/dcwp and navigate to the worker complaint section. You can submit a complaint electronically describing the scheduling violations.

Phone: Call 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK from outside NYC) and ask to be connected to DCWP to file a Fair Workweek complaint.

What to include: Your name and contact information, the name and address of your employer, the dates and nature of the scheduling violations (such as last-minute schedule changes, clopening shifts without consent, or failure to offer you available hours), and any documentation you have such as schedule screenshots, pay stubs, or text messages from managers.

DCWP investigates complaints confidentially. It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

NYC Files Suit Against a Second Dunkin' Franchisee

Alongside the Salz Management settlement, the city announced it is filing a separate lawsuit against another Dunkin' franchisee — QSR Management LLC and its managing corporate officer Ronny Nader. That case alleges similar Fair Workweek Law violations affecting roughly 1,000 workers at 21 Dunkin' locations on Staten Island.

That lawsuit has not yet been settled and is still in its early stages.

Part of a Broader Enforcement Wave

This settlement is part of a growing trend of enforcement actions targeting fast food employers in New York City for scheduling violations. In December 2025, the city reached a $38.9 million settlement with Starbucks over similar Fair Workweek Law violations — the largest worker protection settlement in the city's history at the time.

Since Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office at the beginning of 2026, DCWP has secured more than $8.5 million in restitution for workers across the city, including $5 million for more than 49,000 wrongfully deactivated delivery workers and $500,000 for late payments to 350 freelancers.

New York City has been at the forefront of regulating on-call and unpredictable scheduling in the fast food industry. Similar fair scheduling laws have since been adopted in Oregon and in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Settlement Details

Respondent: Salz Management LLC (Jericho, Long Island)
Franchise Brands: Dunkin', Taco Bell, Wingstop, Wendy's, Baskin-Robbins
Number of Locations: 24 (in New York City)
Workers Affected: Approximately 760
Restitution: More than $1,500,000
Civil Penalties: $155,000
Violations: NYC Fair Workweek Law — failure to provide 14-day advance schedules, illegal clopening shifts, failure to offer shifts to existing employees
Enforcement Agency: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
Consumer Claim Form: None — restitution distributed directly to affected workers through DCWP

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About This Article

This is a government enforcement settlement between the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and Salz Management LLC. Restitution will be distributed directly to affected workers. There is no public claim form. OpenClassActions.com covers worker protection enforcement actions and class action settlements that may be relevant to consumers and workers. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.

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