Employment laws were established to protect workers from unfair acts and to ensure that all employees are correctly paid for the work they provide. Without wage-and-hour laws, there would be no legal way to hold California employers responsible for taking advantage of workers. Under these laws, employers are required to pay fair wages, overtime and reimbursement. Employees of a restaurant in another state have filed a lawsuit after the restaurant allegedly violated several wage-and-hour laws.
The plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit, three former employees, seek to represent over 250 employees that worked for the defendant over the last three years. The lawsuit alleges that the defendant did not pay overtime or minimum wages. According to the claim, the restaurant owners frequently required hourly employees to work after clocking out.
Allegedly, the restaurant owners denied minimum wage to tip-based delivery drivers and made employees use personal vehicles and phones for work without reimbursing the employees. A former worker claims he regularly worked 12 hour shifts and many times over 60 hours per week but was told to clock in for only 10 hours. The lawsuit claims the store owners would even clock employees out while they continued working. The plaintiffs seek $500,000 in damages.
Neglecting to pay employees is wrong and a violation of federal and state employment laws. Workers in California who have experienced neglect such as this from an employer could benefit by seeking the services of a knowledgeable employment law attorney. A successful wage-and-hour claim could result in the reimbursement of lost wages as well as a sense of justice.