Rick Ross Dons Balmain While Taking ‘Accountability’ for Labor Law Violations at Wingstop Locations
Rick Ross is holding himself accountable for labor law violations allegedly made by his Wingstop franchise company, Boss Wings Enterprises. On Wednesday, as he faced more than $114,000 in fines and back wages by the U.S. Department of Labor, the rapper addressed the news on his Instagram Stories Wednesday, Aug. 17.
“When you’re running a business, there will be mistakes but as the biggest boss, you never make the same mistake twice,” said Ross, addressing the minimum wage violations of his company while wearing a Balmain sweater and a diamond encrusted necklace. “Taking accountability is big when you’re the biggest.”
Ross’ company — run partly by members of his family, including his sister Tawanda and mother Tommie Roberts, in Mississippi — forced employees to pay for their own uniforms and cover cash register shortages, leading to minimum wage violations. Boss Wings also evaded paying complete overtime rates and failed to keep a record of employee hours and wage deductions, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
The company also allegedly allowed a 15-year-old worker to clock hours past 10 p.m. in June 2021. Child labor laws say teens can’t work past 7 p.m.
“Restaurant industry employees work hard, often for low wages, and many depend on every dollar earned to make ends meet,” said Audrey Hall of the DOL. “The law prevents Boss Wing Enterprises LLC from shifting operating costs to workers by deducting the costs of uniforms, cash register shortages or training expenses, or to allow a worker’s pay to fall below the minimum wage rate.”
Now, Ross will have to pay his employees $51,674 in back wages and damages for nearly 250 workers, and pay a fine of $62,753 in civil penalties. Ross owns five Wingstop locations throughout Mississippi.
On his Instagram, where his handle is “richforever,” Ross added, “And remember this, most successful people don’t take stumbling as a setback but actually as a stepping stone to greater things. Ya heard me?”
