Applebee's Employee With Autism Reportedly Unpaid for a Year
Caleb Dyl, from Middleton, Rhode Island, has been working three days a week at a local Applebee’s for about a year, but he is reportedly yet to be paid for any of his work.
The 21-year-old has autism and was placed in a training program by a state-funded organization called Resources for Human Development (RHD), WPRI 12 News reported. His initial placement in the training program at the restaurant was without pay to see if he took to the position of prep cook, however, Dyl was supposed to start receiving minimum wage in August of 2014 for the part-time job. His job coaches reported that he was a “capable and tireless” worker.
Despite several inquires by Dyl’s parents to RHD, the checks never came and Applebee’s says they were completely unaware of the matter until WPRI 12 News called to inquire.
Eleanor Clancy, regional director of operations for the Applebee’s chain, said a check will be mailed to Caleb Dyl for 166 hours of work as soon as possible. Dyl did not clock in for work, so the 166 hours is an estimate based on records kept by RHD for the job coaches who went to the restaurant with him. Dyl’s parents estimate their son worked about 350 hours.
“He was enjoying the job, so we really weren’t focused on the income so much,” Caleb Dyl’s father, Bob Dyl, told the outlet. “But after that amount of time, you kind of wonder what’s going on.”
WPRI 12 News reached out to RHD for comment, but we were told confidentiality regulations restrict any comment about the case. The Mighty has reached out to the Applebee’s for comment but have not yet heard back.
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Melissa McGlensey is the former News Editor at The Mighty. Her writing can also be seen in Ms. Magazine, on the Ms.Magazine blog and in The Huffington Post’s Good News, Comedy and Impact sections. Melissa is also a New York City comedian who does sketch, improv and stand up. She is passionate about social justice, politics, Thai food, literature, disability rights and more. She is currently in a long-distance relationship with her cat, Sneakers, who lives in California. You can follow her on twitter at @OhHeyMeliss.
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