Allegations Against Chef Put Spotlight on Violence in Hospitality Workplaces

Quick Hits

• Noma’s chef stepped down after recent reports of physical abuse toward his employees.
• Employers may be liable for not taking appropriate steps to address threats, harassing or abusive behavior, or violence in the workplace.
• Unpaid apprenticeships, called stages, may run the risk of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

René Redzepi was a founding chef at Noma, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, which ceased traditional restaurant service in 2024. Former employees had publicly accused Redzepi of inflicting physical and emotional abuse, claiming he had shoved and punched them, jabbed them with kitchen implements, and screamed at them. In March 2026, he resigned from running Noma pop-up restaurants (operating in Los Angeles) and from MAD, a nonprofit that he founded to teach chefs.

These events offer four important lessons that hospitality employers can learn and promptly implement.

1. Restaurants May Have a Higher Risk of Non-Fatal Workplace Violence.

The risk of workplace violence is higher in workplaces with certain factors, including working at night, exchanging money with the public, providing services where alcohol is served, and being located in areas with high crime rates, according to the Occupational and Safety Administration (OSHA). Indeed, many hospitality industry employers face all of these risk factors, along with the fact that their businesses often have the high stress of a pressure cooker (figuratively speaking). Unlike many workplaces, restaurants are generally not environments where employees can stop working or leave immediately when harassment or violent incidents occur.

To prevent workplace violence and reduce risk, restaurants can consider strategies such as training staff on de-escalation techniques, documenting and enforcing zero-tolerance policies for violence, and fostering workplace cultures that encourage reporting threats and violence.

2. Ignoring Reports Violates Federal Law.

It is unlawful for employers to fail to investigate and take appropriate action after receiving a report of workplace violence. Similarly, employers cannot discourage employees from reporting incidents. If business leaders allow workplace violence to become normalized, their proteges and mentees may continue the cycle of violence as leaders in other workplaces.

Under the general duty clause of the federal Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, employers are legally obligated to provide a workplace environment free from hazards, including physical violence from bosses or coworkers.

Furthermore, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and state antidiscrimination and antiharassment laws prohibit workplace harassment based on legally protected characteristics. Harassment may include physical assaults or threats, intimidation, insults, name-calling, and interference with work performance. Some states require employers to undertake affirmative steps to train employees about discrimination and harassment prevention.

3. Incidents May Merit a Call to the Police.

Employers are not always legally required to call the police when workplace violence occurs. But employers may be liable if they knew or should have known that an employee was violent, and they did nothing to correct it. For example, legal risk increases if an employer fails to report an assault and battery to the police and continues to keep a violent employee on staff after an assault and battery has occurred in the workplace.

If bodily harm was foreseeable (based on prior conduct or threats that were known or should have been known to the employer), an employer could be sued for negligent retention, negligent supervision, or other tort claims, along with potential claims under antidiscrimination and antiharassment laws.

4. Be Cautious About Using Unpaid Labor.

The restaurant industry is known for its tradition of unpaid apprenticeships called stages. However, just because something is traditional does not mean it is legal. After facing public backlash for relying heavily on unpaid workers, Redzepi paid his stagiaires for a brief period before curtailing Noma’s operations.

The FLSA and state wage-and-hour laws require all employers to pay for all hours worked, with narrow exceptions for legitimate nonprofit volunteers and for internships that meet the seven-pronged “primary beneficiary test” under the FLSA. If the stage benefits the restaurant more than the worker, it probably counts as hours worked and must be paid.

It is more likely to be considered hours worked if the stagiaire preps food, cleans, or assists with service. It is less likely to be considered hours worked if the stagiaire only watches, takes notes, and learns by communicating with employees.

Using unpaid stages for productive work can lead to wage claims (under the FLSA and state wage-and-hour laws) that result in the payment of back wages, overtime, liquidated damages, fines, interest, and attorneys’ fees. The better course may be the permissible use of stagiaires to prepare a “family meal” for restaurant employees or to do mock food prep for training purposes. However, care must be taken to ensure that the stagiaires are not performing compensable work for the employer.

Ogletree Deakins’ Hospitality Industry Group will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates on the Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Hospitality, Workplace Safety and Health, and Workplace Violence Prevention blogs as additional information becomes available.

Christopher P. Hammon is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Miami office and co-chair of the firm’s Hospitality Industry Group.

R. Scott DeLuca is of counsel in Ogletree Deakins’ Buffalo office and co-chair of the firm’s Hospitality Industry Group.

This article was co-authored by Leah J. Shepherd, who is a writer in Ogletree Deakins’ Washington, D.C., office.

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