With Pennsylvania's attorney general seeking to freeze the assets of Pure Weight Loss, a now-defunct diet chain based in Horsham, and of its owner Vahan Karian, what are former employees to do?
Pure Weight Loss operated more than 400 locations across the country, including 47 in Pennsylvania. It announced on Dec. 14 that it was closing Jan. 4. The company filed for Chapter 7 protection Jan. 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Philadelphia.
The attorney general told Inquirer staff writer Stacey Burling that Pure Weight Loss employees who are owed money by the company can file complaints with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. To find the complaint form for unpaid wages, go to the department's Web site.
Under the Quick Links section on the righthand part of the homepage, click "Labor Law Compliance". On the next page, choose "wage payment and collection law". That's where you'll find the complaint form.
Companies that do not pay employees properly face civil penalties of 10 percent of the money due and criminal penalites of $300 per offense plus jail time of 90 days per offense, said Justin Fleming, spokesman for the department.
