LOS ANGELES — Bakery workers in Southern California have filed a lawsuit against their employer, the owners of two French bakeries called L’Amande French Bakery. The workers claim the owners failed to pay minimum wage or overtime. Their allegation include violations of California state labor laws, as well as a number of federal laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The Bakery Worker Claim
The bakery workers in this case are in the country on guest worker visas from the Philippines who were promised wages that were significantly greater than they would have received at home. Based on the filed lawsuit, the workers were promised $2,000 a month in wages and positions similar to that of assistant managers. However, according to their claim, they were allegedly paid a little as $2 per hour. One worker allegedly receive as little as $100 for an entire month’s work. The lawsuit, which includes eleven current and former bakery workers, claims the workers not only worked as many as 17 hours a day at the bakeries, they also performed cleaning and landscaping services at the bakery owners’ home.
In addition to the wage and hour violations, the owners are alleged to have retaliated against at least two of the workers who cooperated with the California Labor Commissioner’s investigation. The two workers were allegedly terminated after their participation in the investigation. And other workers claim they were threatened with deportation, if they cooperated with investigators. These threats and alleged retaliatory terminations likely violate numerous labor laws.
Retaliation and Employee Rights
Employees working on a guest worker visa or other similar visas are generally not allowed to change jobs, since the visas are specifically for one employer. This means the threat of retaliatory terminations are as concerning, if not more so, for immigrant workers as non-immigrant workers. However, there are prohibitions against retaliation, including threats of retaliation, for reporting or cooperating with investigations of labor violations in both state and federal labor laws. These prohibitions, as with nearly all other labor laws, apply to all employers and employees regardless of nationality, so long as they are employed and employing individuals in the United States.
If you believe you have been denied the wages and overtime pay you have earned or were promised and you are concerned about retaliation, or have been retaliated against, contact our overtime pay lawyers. Time is limited for filing wage and overtime complaints so it is important to call today! Our experienced team of overtime pay lawyers can be reached at (855) 754-2795. Or you can complete our Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form and our knowledgeable legal team will evaluate your claim. If we accept your case, we will represent you under our No Fee Promise. This means there are no legal fees or costs unless you receive a settlement.