When Caleb Dyl first started working at an Applebee’s in Middletown, RI, the first thing his parents did was sign Caleb up for direct deposit. But the checks never came. Now the restaurant is under fire for never paying the man, who has autism, after he had worked there three days a week for about a year.“He was enjoying the job, so we really weren’t focused on the income so much,” Bob Dyl, Caleb’s father, told WPRI. “But after that amount of time, you kind of wonder what’s going on.”Applebee’s officials say they had no idea that the restaurant was not paying Dyl until they received a phone call from a local news station.Dyl was placed in a training program at the restaurant without pay to see if he was a fit for a prep cook job. But after August 2014, Dyl was supposed to receive minimum wage for part-time employment.According to Bob Dyl, a work coach documented that Caleb was a “tireless worker.”“One young man told me they were lucky to have him, that Caleb just continues to work and work, and he won’t stop until the end of his shift,” Bob Dyl told WPRI.

Despite helping their son fill out a W-4 form, Dyl’s parents say he was never paid. After initial inquiries, officials told the Dyls that Caleb’s forms had been misplaced. So they filled out a new set of documents in November 2014. They even asked Caleb’s caseworker at a local Resources for Human Development Office for assistance, but after months Caleb still hadn’t been paid.

WPRI reached out to the RHD several times and were told that confidentiality regulations restrict it from commenting on the case.Applebee’s says it will send Dyl a check for 166 hour of work, based on receipts kept by his RHD coaches. But the Dyl family estimates that their son worked close to 350 hours.One Applebee's official told WPRI that Caleb's check will be mailed to him as soon as possible, adding, "We have to make this right."