Sanofi Techs Seek Promised COVID-19 Hazard Pay in Class Action Lawsuit

A Sanofi technician says that she and other employees were denied hazard pay during the pandemic despite company promises.

According to Courtland D., she and over 60 other technicians have worked in Sanofi’s vaccine manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania during the pandemic. In light of the risks associated with working while COVID-19 is running rampant, she and other technicians were allegedly promised 15% higher wages as hazard pay during the pandemic.

This promise was reportedly made by Charles Hollow, another Sanofi employee who worked as the project manager at Courtland’s plant. In early April, Hollow allegedly emailed Courtland and other technicians with a promise that they would receive hazard pay during the pandemic.

“Short Version: Laboratory individuals that are required to work 40 hours in a week will be entitled to a 15% pay bump for the duration of the pandemic,” Hollow reportedly wrote in the final line of his email.

Despite these promises, Courtland and other technicians have allegedly been denied any hazard pay while working for the duration of the pandemic. In the weeks and months following Hollow’s April email, Courtland says that Sanofi reneged on their promise to provide additional wages to their employees.

“[Plaintiff] and other technicians relied on defendants’ hazard pay promise by consistently working throughout the pandemic, and defendants derived a significant financial benefit from such work,” the Sanofi hazard pay class action lawsuit contends.

Courtland and other technicians reportedly complained to Sanofi management about their lack of hazard pay after they realized they were not receiving these wages. In fact, Courtland says that she complained to management at least seven times between May 2020 and October 2020.

After countless complaints from technicians, Hollow reportedly responded in early November by forwarding an email from Jeff Matvienko, Vice President of Yoh Services – Sanofi’s staffing agency.

“We understand that and we also understand that you were part of a team of individuals who were asked to continue to work on site during the uncertainty of what was becoming an untenable situation in this world,” Matvienko purportedly wrote in his email.

“You came to work every day not knowing what tomorrow would bring. We truly appreciate all of these efforts.”

Apart from these empty words, Matvienko reportedly offered the technicians only three days of paid time off. In a follow up email, Hollow allegedly confirmed that “[t]his time off is in lieu of hazard pay.”

Courtland argues that she and other employees deserve the hazard pay they were promised by Sanofi in the early days of the pandemic. According to her Sanofi hazard pay class action lawsuit, she is owed around $5,000 in hazard pay.

Courtland seeks to represent a Class of Sanofi employees who were promised hazard pay by the company during the pandemic. This also includes employees who do not work as technicians.

On behalf of herself and the proposed Class, Courtland seeks monetary damages in the form of hazard pay backpay, liquidated damages, interest, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Have you received hazard pay during the coronavirus pandemic? Let us know in the comment section below.

Courtland D. and the proposed Class are represented by Peter Winebrake of Winebrake & Santillo LLC.

The Sanofi Hazard Pay Class Action Lawsuit is Courtland D. v. Yoh Services LLC, et al., Case No. 201200545, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

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