An autistic man worked for a Middletown, RI Applebee’s restaurant for an entire year without receiving a paycheck.
Caleb Dyl, 21, was scheduled to begin receiving wages in August 2014 after he was placed at the restaurant by a state-funded agency.
Caleb’s parents filled out a W-4 form and a direct deposit form in Aug. 2014, but no checks came.
His parents filled a 2nd W-4 form in November 2014 after the restaurant claimed they lost his first W-4 form.
Caleb’s parents said he was well-liked by his co-workers who described him as a “tireless worker”.
“One young man told me they were lucky to have him, that Caleb just continues to work and work and he won’t stop until the end of his shift,” Caleb’s father, Bob Dyl, said.
“He was enjoying the job, so we really weren’t focused on the income so much,” Dyl said. “But after that amount of time, you kind of wonder what’s going on.”
After contacting the state agency — and getting the runaround — Caleb’s parents went to WPRI Target 12 News.
Target 12 reached out to Pawtucket-based Resources for Human Development, which receives government funding for the training program for special needs residents.
But a spokeswoman for RHD claims they never receiving Caleb’s paperwork.
“We were told by RHD that Applebee’s was going to hire him, and he was going to get paid,” Bob Dyl told Target 12 News.
But Eleanor Clancy, regional director of operations for the Applebee’s chain, said RHD never contacted her about the problem nor did the Middletown restaurant franchise.
“RHD never contacted us,” Clancy told Target 12. “The first we heard of this was when you [Target 12] called. But this is on us,” she said. “We obviously feel terrible.”
Clancy said Applebee’s was cutting a check for Caleb, who worked as a prep cook for minimum wage ($9/hr).
But Applebee’s is only paying Caleb for 166 hours. Clancy claims Caleb failed to clock in when he went to work.
Bob Dyl estimates his son worked about 350 hours for Applebee’s.
