Masonite Corp. Employees Get $2.5M Wage and Hour Settlement

A wage and hour settlement has been preliminarily approved by a California federal court, resolving allegations against Masonite Corporation of Fair and Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations.

One of the named plaintiffs included in the wage and hour settlement lawsuit is Derrick B., who says that the Court, in determination of the settlement agreement between the two parties, granted preliminary approval.

Named plaintiffs Derrick B. and Randy M. accused Masonite of violating federal labor laws and the California Labor Code. According to the lawsuit, the violations included, “unpaid overtime, unpaid meal and rest period premiums, unpaid minimum wage, failure to provide accurate wage statements, and other derivative wage and hour violations.”

The plaintiffs brought this unpaid overtime class action lawsuit under the California Private Attorneys General Act, seeking civil penalties on their own behalf, the proposed Class, and the California state government.

The Court issued preliminary approval of the $2.5 million wage and hour settlement on Dec. 11, 2017. The plaintiffs, including Derrick will later seek final approval for the class action settlement filed against Masonite. Following court costs and expenses, the net settlement amount will be $1,522.538.

The initial complaint was filed on behalf of himself and of the proposed Class Members in November 2015 in the Superior Court of Riverside, until it was moved to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The Wage and Hour Settlement Lawsuit is Case No. 5:16-cv-00035-JGB-KK, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Wage & Hour Violations

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 in Federal, State, and Local governments.”

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is an important and far-reaching lawsuit guaranteeing an employee certain rights. Regulations covered by the FLSA includes limitations on child labor, requirements for overtime pay, interstate commerce employment, and minimum wage requirements.

Regulations for minimum wage set forth by the FLSA set the rate at $7.25 per hour. Overtime pay for any hours worked greater than 40 hours per week includes a pay rate of not less than one and one-half times the rate of regular pay.

One of the great things about FLSA coverage is that it covers nearly all workplaces. To cover all workplaces, courts have interpreted the interstate commerce term in a broad aspect.

In addition to minimum wage and overtime requirements, there are several other violations that may be covered under the FLSA. Some of these violations include misclassification of exempt employees, off-the-clock work, independent contractor misclassification, unpaid on-duty meal and rest breaks, improper deductions from salaried employees, failure to pay minimum wage, illegal tipping practices, and improper calculation of the regular rate.

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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