Hahndorf restaurant the Seasonal Garden Cafe denies underpaying staff and claims she is victim of online ‘slander’
THE owner of a popular Hahndorf eatery is expanding her business to one of Adelaide’s premier retail strips, angering former staff who claim they are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
THE owner of a popular and highly-rated Hahndorf eatery is expanding her business to one of Adelaide’s premier retail strips, angering former staff who claim they are owed thousands of dollars in unpaid wages.
The Seasonal Garden Cafe’s Silvia Hart opened an offshoot at Stirling in April and is expected to open a fourth outlet of her successful business on The Parade in Norwood this month.
But some ex-employees have accused her of ignoring court orders to repay nearly $3000 in outstanding wages.
Ms Hart said the court orders were not binding, that she disputed the amounts owed and accused the former staff of slandering her on social media.
Birdwood woman Gabrielle Whitaker, who worked for Ms Hart from September 2014 to February 2015, had a $2080 claim for payment upheld in the SA Industrial Relations Court in December 2015.
The order gave Ms Hart 28 days to pay but Ms Whitaker, 29, said she was still out of pocket.
“It makes me ropeable that she’s expanding her business,” she said. “I need that money, it’s my money. That would help me out a lot week-to-week.”
Hanna Stanford, 42, of Basket Range, worked for the Seasonal Garden from November, 2014 to February, 2015 and she was awarded a judgment for $819 in the Industrial Relations Court in December, 2015, with the payment outstanding.
She said Ms Hart did not attend any of the four court-appointed hearings into her wage claim despite being summonsed.
“If she is funding these expansions then she really needs to tidy up her loose ends,” she said.
She said it was “frustrating” that Ms Hart was investing in new ventures despite having left people “short of pocket”.
“It’s frustrating and it’s sad to see someone who is so successful and has got a good brand and does amazing things with food to have another side where she has really burnt bridges and upset people,” she said.
Ms Whitaker and Ms Stanford said they will now take action in the Mt Magistrates Court to have the judgments enforced.
Ms Hart disputed she owed money to Ms Whitaker and Ms Stanford.
“The decisions of the IR court (are) not binding and the only way I could contest the decision was via the Magistrates Court,” she said.
“The court process requires Ms Whitaker and Ms Basso to file in Magistrates (Court) in order for me to contest the IR decision. They never did this.
“They do however continue to slander me on social media regularly and make up outlandish stories about me and post them online.” Ms Hart told The Advertiser.