Three former Les Schwab employees have filed a lawsuit against the tire dealership, claiming discrimination and unlawful retaliation. The plaintiffs are seeking $15 million in punitive damages and $750,000 in compensatory damages.
According to court documents the defendants, which include HR, area, and store managers, “acted in malice or showed reckless and outrageous indifference” by “aiding and abetting retaliation against [plaintiffs] after each made a good faith report of information that they believed was a violation of federal or state law, rule or regulation.”
All three plaintiffs worked at the same Les Schwab store, in Clackamas, Ore., between 2010 and 2015.
Two of the three employees claim that the store manager demanded that they “up-sell” customers on services and items they didn’t need – including new tires, wiper blades, brakes, shocks and more. When the employees refused to sell the unneeded products, they claim the manager yelled at them and made “unlawful” physical contact.
The third employee claimed to witness such actions.
When the employees made complaints through the company’s confidential system that promised no retaliation, they were either fired or forced out of a job, the lawsuit claims.
“We cannot comment on any pending lawsuit, but we’re deeply concerned by any claim that questions our dedication to providing superior value and service to our customers. For more than 60 years, Les Schwab Tire Centers has taken pride in performance, value and honesty – and we believe in building customers for life,” Les Schwab told Tire Review. “If you live in a town with a Les Schwab Tire Center, or you’ve been to one of our stores, you know we don’t just sell tires; we take pride in doing the right thing. We would never condone or encourage behaviors that could damage the history of world-class customer service we’ve built in the communities where we live and work.”
