San Diego, CAThe number of lawsuits involving overtime pay and missed breaks continues to grow, as do the number of settlements. Below are some recent developments in California overtime lawsuits.- In April, a Canadian company paid over $152,000 in settlements and fines after allegations that the company did not pay its employees for overtime and denied them work breaks. The workers are known as "piece-rate employees" meaning that they are paid for work performed rather than being paid by the hour. What many piece-rate employees and their employers do not realize is that they are also eligible for overtime pay.
Also in April, the Supreme Court of California ruled in Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions that the money paid to employees by an employer for failure to provide the employee a meal break is considered a wage. That allows employees to seek compensation for breaks worked as far back as three years.
The same month, computer support technicians filed a class action lawsuit against AT&T and Yellowpages.com, alleging that the companies classified them as managers or engineers so that the employees would be exempt from overtime and meal breaks.
In March, Albertson's reached an agreement with thousands of employees who claimed the company did not pay them for working overtime and forced them to work off the clock. The settlement will see Albertson's pay $53.3 million to over 7,000 employees. Some employees will receive up to $28,000.
Also in March, Rubio's Restaurants Inc., announced that it reached an agreement with employees who claimed that they were misclassified under California overtime laws. Under the settlement, Rubio's will pay $7.5 million to its employees in three installments. Rubio's also announced a net loss of $4.69 million in its fourth quarter.Many employees who are eligible for overtime pay are not being properly compensated for working extra hours. Even if you have left your job, you may still be able to receive compensation for overtime hours worked. If you worked overtime hours and did not receive proper pay, contact a lawyer to discuss your options.
