Former Sacramento manager sues Punch Bowl Social, says he was fired over family leave

Benjy Egel
·2 min read

The former general manager of downtown Sacramento’s Punch Bowl Social has sued the entertainment company, claiming he was fired in retaliation for plans to take family leave.

Dennis DiLosa, a Punch Bowl employee from June 2022 until September 2023, sued his former employer for damages in Sacramento County Superior Court on April 10.

In February 2023, after months of in vitro fertilization treatments, DiLosa and his wife learned she was pregnant. He told Punch Bowl’s then-regional director of operations, who “assured him it would not be a problem, and that they would implement a plan to ensure that there was coverage and a smooth transition,” according to the lawsuit.

But that supervisor stopped working for Punch Bowl in July, and in stepped a new director, James Wahl. DiLosa similarly told Wahl his wife was due in October, but was met with less support, according to his lawsuit.

“Wahl was mostly unhelpful regarding his leave or what Plaintiff had to do internally/logistically to request any leave related to his wife’s pregnancy or the birth of his children,” the lawsuit said.

On Sept. 14, DiLosa reportedly emailed the company’s human relations department telling them of his plans to take paternity leave, paid family leave, and/or baby bonding leave in accordance with the California Family Rights Act. He was fired four days later, which he believed to be retribution, according to the lawsuit.

A multi-story building with a restaurant, multiple bars and entertainment options such as bowling, arcade games and karaoke, Punch Bowl Social has been a 25,000-square foot downtown fixture since opening in December 2017 at 500 J St., Suite 100. The Denver-based company, which was purchased for $32 million in 2021 amid bankruptcy proceedings, has 14 locations nationwide.

Punch Bowl Social did not respond to requests for comment. DiLosa’s attorney also declined to answer additional questions about the case.

CFRA and its federal counterpart, the Family Medical Leave Act, entitle qualified employees to take up to 12 weeks unpaid time off for certain reasons, including birth and bonding with a newborn.

While few restaurants and bars offer paid parental leave — the United States is the only major developed nation that does not mandate doing so — a few noteworthy brands such as Sweetgreen, McDonald’s and Starbucks opt to offer such benefits.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • $9.5M sexual abuse class-action lawsuit against Stampede moves forward with 300 claimants

    About 300 people have joined a $9.5-million class action lawsuit against the Calgary Stampede, which admitted negligence after a serial sexual abuser worked for decades with teenage performers from the Young Canadians, a judge heard Tuesday. Lawyers for the claimants and Stampede were in court Tuesday to update Court of King's Bench Justice Paul Jeffrey on how the funds will be distributed and to work out details of a plan to notify all potential class members of an upcoming settlement approval

  • Loblaw boycott begins — will Canada's biggest grocer feel the pinch?

    The campaign to boycott Loblaw stores has officially kicked off, but will Canadians stop shopping at the grocery giant's various banners — including the Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, No Frills, T&T, Zehrs, Provigo, and Dominion? Anne Gaviola explains what's prompted the boycott, and whether it will have a meaningful impact.

  • This finance YouTuber says there’s 1 retirement trap that no one talks about — here’s what you need to know

    The problem is more psychological than financial.

  • Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets green light to open for May 1

    CALGARY — The long-awaited Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is complete and the Canada Energy Regulator has given the go-ahead for the project to open. The regulator said Tuesday it has approved the last remaining "leave to open" applications submitted by Trans Mountain Corp., the Crown corporation behind the project. Approval of these applications was required before the expanded pipeline could begin shipping oil. Also on Tuesday, Trans Mountain confirmed that Wednesday, May 1 will mark the co

  • Planned month-long Loblaw boycott begins today

    An online campaign targeting Loblaw-owned stores is planning a month-long boycott starting May 1 to draw attention to the rising price of food.

  • The Last 5 Years Before You Retire Are Critical: Everything You Should Do Before Time Runs Out

    Retirement can seem like a faraway goal until all of a sudden, it's not. When you only have a few years left until you retire, the financial decisions you make take on a new importance. Once you're inside the five-year window, that's a good time to review your plan to make sure you're on track. […] The post How to Master the Last 5 Years Before Retirement appeared first on SmartReads CMS - SmartAsset.

  • Court documents reveal Google's payments to Apple increased to an eye-watering $20 billion

    Documents in the antitrust case against Google revealed that the price it pays to be Apple's default search engine has increased over the years.

  • Insurer Chubb readies $350 million payout tied to Baltimore bridge collapse

    The payout is likely to be the first of many related to the disaster that analysts have said might cost insurers up to $4 billion, making it a record shipping insurance loss. The tragedy that killed six people occurred after a Singapore-flagged container ship collided with the landmark bridge. Plans for the $350 million payout were first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said Chubb, along with Maryland and the families of the victims of the crash, will likely sue the ship owner and others to recoup losses from the crash.

  • Oil slides to 7-week low as demand weakens, rates stay high

    NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices fell to a seven-week low for the second consecutive session on Thursday, weighed by weakening global demand, rising inventories and fading hopes for an early decline in U.S. interest rates. Brent crude futures rose 28 cents, or 0.3%, to $83.72 a barrel by 12:55 p.m. ET (16:55 GMT). Both benchmarks are below their 200-day moving average, the key technical indicator representing a bear market shift in crude oil, said Alex Hodes, oil analyst at StoneX.

  • Canadian Natural Resources sees path to hike Horizon oilsands output by 76 per cent

    CALGARY — Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. said it believes the output of its Horizon oilsands mine could be increased by 195,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil, a 76 per cent hike from the mine's current capacity of approximately 255,000 barrels per day. The company, which is Canada's largest oil and gas producer by market capitalization, said the potential increase is a "long-term" opportunity that would depend on a number of conditions including government support for carbon capture an

  • Education minister threatens to dissolve Moncton-area education council

    Education Minister Bill Hogan is threatening to dissolve the Anglophone East district education council if it doesn't stop spending money on its legal fight with the province by the end of Thursday.Hogan says in a new letter to the council chair that he wants it to confirm in writing by 5 p.m. Thursday that it will ask its lawyers to return any money devoted to the case and not spend any more."It is my opinion that the Litigation Expenditure is evidence that the resources of the DEC are being ex

  • Bayer's Monsanto wins reversal of $185 million PCBs verdict in Washington court

    A Washington state appeals court on Wednesday overturned a $185 million verdict against Bayer's Monsanto unit over chemical contamination at a Seattle-area school, marking the second big legal win for the company in as many weeks. Monsanto spinoff Pharmacia, which sold now-banned chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls, was found liable in 2021. Three teachers claimed they suffered brain damage from PCBs that leaked from light fixtures at the Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe, Washington.

  • Google and Apple now threatened by the US antitrust laws that helped build their technology empires

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department's double-barreled antitrust attack on Google's dominant search and Apple's trendsetting iPhone is reviving memories of the epic battle that hobbled Microsoft before it roared back to yet again become the world's most valuable company. The parallels to the Justice Department's landmark antitrust case in 1998 could provide a window into the potential breakthroughs that could be unleashed if regulators succeed in their attempts to crack down on Googl

  • Oil-Watchers Expect OPEC+ to Extend Supply Cuts Into Second Half

    (Bloomberg) -- OPEC+ is expected to prolong oil output cuts into the second half of the year as it seeks to stave off a global surplus and shore up prices.Most Read from BloombergUS and Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant to Reshape Middle EastSaudi Arabia Steps Up Arrests Of Those Attacking Israel OnlineBiden Calls Ally Japan ‘Xenophobic’ Along With China, RussiaHuawei Secretly Backs US Research, Awarding Millions in PrizesTesla Axes Supercharger Team in Blow to Broader EV MarketSaudi Arabia and its

  • Progress reported on bid to sell insolvent media companies SaltWire and The Herald

    HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia judge received good news Tuesday during an update on the proposed sale of SaltWire Network Inc. and The Halifax Herald Ltd., two financially troubled companies that operate Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper chain. Those shepherding the restructuring process told Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice John Keith that progress is being made toward securing a deal that could see all or part of the insolvent businesses sold to one or more bidders. "Everything has unfolded the wa

  • 4 Top Ways To Become Rich Without Getting a College Degree

    You no longer need a college degree to get a high-paying job. Many of the top companies in the U.S., including Walmart, Amazon, Apple, Uber and Nike, have removed degree requirements from some job...

  • Huawei's high-profile consumer CEO Richard Yu shifts role

    While Yu becomes chairman, He Gang, the consumer business group's chief operating officer, will take over as the unit's CEO, the people said. Yu has headed Huawei's consumer unit, which includes its smartphone business, since 2012, a period marked by rapid growth, a hit from U.S. sanctions to the company's supply chain and more recently a rebound in sales. Yu's role as chairman of Huawei's smart car solutions business, a unit the company has said it intends to spin off into a new company, is unchanged, the person said.

  • Apparel retailer rue21 files for third bankruptcy, will close all stores

    Teen apparel retailer rue21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for a third time on Thursday, seeking to shut down its 540 stores and sell its intellectual property. rue21 has attempted to sell its business, but no buyer appeared willing to pay more than the company would earn by liquidating its inventory in "going out of business" sales and shutting down its stores, the company said in documents filed in Wilmington, Delaware, bankruptcy court. At its peak, it had 1,000 stores in malls throughout the U.S. The company closed about 400 stores during its 2017 bankruptcy, in a deal that allowed rue21 to slash $700 million in debt.

  • Starbucks Is Having Its Worst Day Since 2020. Expensive Coffee Finally Takes Toll.

    Net sales in the March quarter totaled $8.56 billion, while analysts polled by FactSet expected $9.13 billion.

  • Israeli private eye arrested in UK over alleged hacking for US PR firm

    An Israeli private investigator wanted by the United States was arrested in London over allegations that he carried out a cyberespionage campaign on behalf of an unidentified American PR firm, a London court heard on Thursday. An initial attempt to extradite Amit Forlit to the United Sates was thrown out by a judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday on a legal technicality. Amy Labram, a lawyer representing the United States, had told the court that Forlit "is accused of engaging in a hack for hire scheme".