$2M Settlement Ends Claims Over Violations of California Wage and Hour Laws

A medical waste disposal company that was hit with claims that it violated various California wage and hour laws has agreed to pay $2 million to settle the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged the company violated California wage and hour laws concerning the overtime pay and time spent changing into work gear.

The defendant, Stericycle, is a medical waste disposal company that collects and disposes of regulated substances.

According to the complaint, Stericycle cheated its employees out of earned wages by rounding its payroll times. The wage and hour lawsuit also alleged that employees weren’t compensated for the time spent dressing and undressing in work clothing, didn’t include bonuses in overtime rates, and didn’t provide required meal and break periods.

U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt said that the settlement agreement will present a “significant” recovery for the Class Members—of which there are around 985. Each lead plaintiff is set to receive $10,000 for their part in the lawsuit.

The motion for approval contends that the settlement is fair “in light of the strengths of plaintiff’s case, the risks of further litigation, the risks of class certification, the risks of prevailing at trial and the estimated values of plaintiffs’ claims at trial.”

The complaint over California wage and hour laws was filed back in August 2014 originally in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and was moved to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in October 2015.

Wage and Hour Regulations

There are a series of both federal and state wage and hour laws put in place to protect workers and ensure they are treated fairly. However, many workers across the country do not know about the protections that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) offers, as well as state protections such as California wage and hour laws. In some cases, employers may be requiring unpaid overtime work or even failing to pay minimum wage at all in violation of federal and state wage and hour laws.

Some workers may find themselves hesitant to file wage and hour complaints like this unpaid overtime lawsuit because they are not aware of FLSA rules. Others may be afraid that their employers will retaliate or even fire them if they speak up about these kinds of FLSA violations. To protect workers who help to enforce FLSA rules, laws also exist to protect workers from retaliation based on wage and hour complaints.

Pursuing a Wage and Hour Lawsuit

If you have worked for an employer that may have failed to follow the Fair Labor Standards Act or state labor laws, like California wage and hour laws, including minimum wage or overtime requirements, you may be able to either join a wage and hour class action lawsuit or file an unpaid overtime lawsuit of your own. An overtime pay settlement can help make up for unpaid wages or overtime work, whether you are a current or former employee.

The California Wage and Hour Lawsuit is Case No. 2:15-cv-08187-JAK-JEM, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Join a Free California Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years in California, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.

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