Dog Walker Wage and Hour Lawsuit Seeks Correct Worker Classification

A group of dog walkers has filed a lawsuit against a dog walking company, alleging it violated federal and state labor laws. According to the dog walker wage and hour lawsuit, the company misclassified its dog walkers as independent contractors rather than actual employees, which denies them certain benefits and wages.

The lead plaintiff, Gary D., filed his dog walker wage and hour lawsuit against Wag Labs, a company that positions itself as “the Uber of dog walking services,” the complaint notes.

Wag Labs is indeed similar to Uber. Dog owners order dog walker services via the company’s website or app, and pay Wag rather than the dog walker themselves. Wage distribution is left to Wag Labs.

Gary says he has worked for Wag Labs since January 2017 and has experienced a number of factors that indicate that he should really be classified as an employee of Wag Labs rather than simply an independent contractor.

According to his dog walker wage and hour lawsuit, Gary and others in his position were made to work off the clock without proper compensation. The dog walkers were allegedly paid for their time from the beginning of the walk to the end of the walk, but not for the time it took to prepare before and after the walk, including such tasks as harnessing and de-harnessing or waiting for directions to a dog owner’s residence.

This alleged misclassification also led to workers being paid “less than required minimum wages,” the dog walker wage and hour lawsuit outlines.

Gary filed his dog walker wage and hour lawsuit on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated who used to work for Wag Labs as dog walkers between Nov. 1, 2013, and the date of final judgment. More than 1,000 individuals are estimated to belong to this class, the lawsuit notes.

The dog walker wage and hour lawsuit was filed on multiple counts of violation of the California labor code, including misclassification, failure to pay wages and minimum wage, failure to provide wage statements, and failure to reimburse business expenses, among others.

Filing an Employee Misclassification Lawsuit

There are federal and state labor laws put in place to protect workers like these dog walkers from being misclassified as independent contractors when they should be considered employees. Similar misclassification lawsuits have also been filed against other companies by nail salon workers, Uber drivers, and many others. Uber, a popular ride-hailing service, has faced numerous lawsuits over the misclassification of its drivers. One such lawsuit was settled for a whopping $100 million.

If you have worked for a company you believe misclassified you as an independent contractor, such as Wag Labs, you may be able to file an individual lawsuit or join a wage and hour class action lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit like this dog walker wage and hour lawsuit can help you recover wages that would be owed to you as an employee.

The Dog Walker Wage and Hour Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-07014-FMO-JPR, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

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