Introduction:The specialty coffee brand Seesaw has recently been embroiled in a labor dispute, with around 75 employees in the Shanghai area facing unpaid wages and suspended social insurance and housing fund contributions. The number of its nationwide stores has sharply declined to 49. This article delves into the full story behind the incident, exposes the real hardships faced by employees, explores the operational challenges of chain coffee businesses, and provides practical advice on safeguarding labor rights.
The specialty coffee brand Seesaw has recently been hit with labor disputes. According to several former employees, about 75 in-store and back-office staff in Shanghai have had their salaries withheld, with some even experiencing suspended social insurance and housing fund payments. Founder Wu Xiaomei has yet to publicly respond to the employees' demands, drawing attention from the industry.
A former employee who worked at Seesaw for two years stated that since the end of 2022, there have been irregularities in salary payments. What used to be the regular monthly disbursement of base salary, bonuses, and shift differentials for morning and evening shifts began to be paid out in installments starting from the end of 2023.The remaining balance of December's wages was not disbursed until February 2024.The employee pointed out that due to unstable wages, the number of staff in-store dropped sharply from the original six to just two or three, with most departures related to salary issues.
An even more serious issue is that although the company continued to deduct social insurance and housing fund fees from salaries, it failed to actually complete the payment procedures. The employee revealed that,due to the social insurance not being deregistered after leaving the job, they were unable to change jobs, and the insurance suspension issue remains unresolved to this day.Another back-office staff member stated that since July 2023, the method of salary payment changed from monthly to three installments (35%, 35%, and 30%), butthe final 30% of the October 2023 salary has still not been paid, resulting in an accumulated debt of 50,000 yuan.。
According to multiple employees, the company suspended housing fund contributions starting May 2024, and social insurance payments have gradually stopped since June, with no clear timeline given for making up the payments. Currently, Seesaw’s Shanghai office is in a chaotic state with “no one available to coordinate,” and although the labor inspection authorities have promised to assist in urging payments, progress has been slow. Employees have made numerous attempts to contact founder Wu Xiaomei but have received no response.
Beyond the labor disputes, Seesaw’s store operations are also faring poorly. The official mini-program shows that the total number of stores nationwide has shrunk significantly from its peak to49, with two stores marked as “temporarily closed.” It is understood that a store located on the first floor of a hotel in Shenzhen has been closed for a long time, with its operational status unclear.
A store manager of a Seesaw branch in Beijing revealed that due to issues such as material shortages and supply disruptions, the store's beverage output has continued to decline, eventually making operations unsustainable and leading to closure. The manager stated that they too have been owed more than 10,000 yuan in salary and approximately 30,000 yuan in severance compensation. Reporters attempted to contact relevant Seesaw officials for verification but received no response.
Industry analysts point out that the operational difficulties faced by chain coffee brands may involve various factors, including intensified market competition, improper cost control, and flawed expansion strategies. For employees, when facing wage arrears, it is essential to promptly retain relevant evidence and seek to protect their rights through formal channels.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
