Workers forced to walk through raw sewage in Ruth’s Chris restaurant at Grand Hyatt Seattle

On January 3^rd, 2016, a plumbing malfunction caused raw sewage to flood an elevator shaft, some banquet rooms in Ruth’s Chris restaurant, and an employee locker room. The restaurant continued to function, and workers were asked to go retrieve their belongings from their lockers, requiring them to walk through raw sewage and toilet paper. One worker described the stench as “overwhelming.”

Some workers had no choice but to walk through the raw sewage and then into the kitchen without cleaning or changing their shoes. The restaurant remained open for business that evening but was closed for breakfast and lunch the following day.