Class Action

18 Mar Trial Judge Must Address Whether Employer’s Wage Policies Were Sufficiently Uniform to Permit Class Certification

Posted at 09:10h in Class Action

On March 12, 2019, the court of appeal published its decision in Myers v. Raley’s that reversed a trial court’s order denying class certification in a wage and hour case because the trial court failed to “provide the reasons for its ultimate finding.” The maintenance...

11 Mar Employee’s Refusal to Share PAGA Penalties with Aggrieved Employees Results in Dismissal of Lawsuit

Posted at 09:37h in Class Action, Employment Law

On February 27, 2019, a California court of appeal published its decision in Moorer v. Noble L.A. Events Inc., affirming a trial court’s order dismissing the plaintiff’s lawsuit that alleged violations of the Labor Code, Wage Order No. 4, and the Private Attorneys General Act...

04 Mar PAGA Claim Will Not be Compelled to Arbitration

Posted at 10:29h in Class Action

On February 25, 2019, a California court of appeal in Correia v. NB Baker Electric, Inc. affirmed a trial court’s order denying an employer’s petition to compel arbitration of a claim brought under the Private Attorney General Act of 2004 (PAGA). The trial court had...

15 Jan Parties May Agree That an Arbitrator, Not a Judge, Will Decide if Their Dispute is Arbitrable

Posted at 08:25h in Class Action

On January 8, 2019, a unanimous United States Supreme Court held in Schein v. Archer & White Sales that the parties to an arbitration agreement may agree to have an arbitrator decide “gateway questions of arbitrability,” as well as the merits of a particular dispute. The...

24 Dec Employer’s Meal Period Policy That Does Not Comply With California Law Results in Liability Under PAGA

Posted at 11:40h in Class Action, Employment Law

A decision published by a California court of appeal on December 19, 2008 in Carrington v. Starbucks Corp. again demonstrates how critical it is that employers have a well-written meal period policy in place that conforms to the law. A barista who worked at Starbucks...

10 Dec Employer Association Files Suit to Declare PAGA Unconstitutional

Posted at 11:09h in Class Action

On November 28, 2018, the California Business & Industrial Alliance, an association representing California-based employers, filed a 54-page Complaint in the Orange County Superior Court seeking injunctive and declaratory relief against Attorney General Xavier Becerra and alleging that that the California Private Attorney General Act...

03 Dec Meal Periods Shortened by Employer to Less Than 30 Minutes Results in Substantial Liability

Posted at 12:13h in Class Action, Employment Law

On November 30, 2018, the Court of Appeal in Kaanaana v. Barrett Business Services, Inc. made clear that an employee’s right to a duty-free 30-minute meal period is separate and distinct from his or her right to be paid one hour of “premium pay” for...

26 Nov Construction Employer’s CBA May Waive PAGA Claims

Posted at 10:22h in Class Action, Employment Law

On September 19, 2018, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill No. 1654. Effective January 1, 2019, AB 1654 modifies the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (“PAGA”) and exempts an employee in the construction industry from its coverage with respect to work performed under a valid collective bargaining...