Allegations of Off the Clock Work Lead to $1.7M Wage Settlement

Quick & Clear Inc., which does business as AA Window and Gutter Cleaning, has received a Washington state judge’s approval for a $1.7 million wage settlement that would resolve a class action lawsuit filed against the company for the failure to pay its technicians for off the clock work.

Judge John P. Erlick of King County Superior Court gave the final approval on Friday against the company and its owner.

The $1.7 million wage off the clock work settlement will be disbursed among roughly 102 people, with no member of the Class objecting to the settlement deal. A preliminary approval to the deal was given in December. The lawsuit filed in December 2016 accused the company of failing to pay workers for work they did off the clock. This included allegations that workers were even required to begin work at home, receiving emails of tasks they were asked to complete without pay.

Technicians for the company also reported being forced to do off the clock work by washing their own towels without compensation. Other examples of off the clock work included workers not being compensated when driving the company vehicle either from home and to the job site or vice versa.

According to Law360, the attorney for the plaintiffs said in a statement, “After the court entered judgment on behalf of the class, the only issue remaining for trial was determining the amount of wages owed and the penalty,” he said. “When employers fail to pay employees the wages due to them by law, there needs to be substantial consequences.”

The class representative also stated, “I am grateful to live in a place where there is access to justice, and I feel great that we were not only able to recover the wages lawfully owed but that the lawsuit actually changed how we got paid going forward,” according to Law360.

According to the defendants’ attorney, the owner never fought the lawsuit and believed that he paid more than was fair. She also said that the settlement amount was being funded out of personal finances.

“Due to legal paperwork requirements, he was not paying his people correctly according to the paperwork.” “Were his employees paid more than fairly? Yes. These were window washers that were being paid on average $90,000 a year on a commission basis,” she said.

Filing a Wage and Hour Class Action Lawsuit

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was passed by the U.S. Congress to uphold fair wages and compensation to all employees for all hours worked. Labor laws protect workers from exploitation, abuse, and danger by employers.

According to the Department of Labor (DOL), “[t]he FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and Local governments.”

The filing of an FLSA class action allows employees with similar grievances to band together and assert their rights as a group. By coming together, employees harmed by their employers can come together saving themselves time, money, and ease of finding an attorney.

Join a Free Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

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

Get a Free Case Evaluation Now