LOS ANGELES — A group of California health care workers who filed suit against their employer last year recently came to terms with the defendant, agreeing to drop their unpaid overtime lawsuit in exchange for substantial compensation.
Among the allegations listed in the complaint were accusations the defendant, Sansum Clinic, manipulated employees’ time cards to suppress overtime payments to the workers who put in long hours for the sake of their patients and ultimately the company’s bottom line.
Approximately 1,500 current and former employees for the California-based health care provider were involved with the suit. Including back wages, liquidated damages, and attorney’s fees, the unpaid overtime lawsuit will settle for $2 million, which should net most employees a payout of around $800 from the $1.25 fund set up to compensate the plaintiffs.
Part of the alleged scheme to defraud the health care workers was applying their mandatory 30-minute meal break immediately following their fifth hour even though many employees did not actually take their rest period at this time. California law mandates workers be given an uninterrupted meal break upon their fifth hour on the job.
Defendant Allegedly Violated California Wage Laws
Due to the nature of their work and demands placed on them, the employees were either not allowed or unable to take this meal period upon their fifth hour of work. As a result, the employees would not only gain an extra hour of pay under California wage laws, but also be eligible for overtime after more than eight-hours of work in a single shift.
While many states only require overtime pay after 40-hours of work during the week, California is unique in that employees must be compensated with overtime pay for more than 40-hours of work in a week and/or more than eight hours of work during a single day. The case is another classic example of how creative unscrupulous employers can be to limit the rightfully earned pay of hard working Americans trying to provide for their families.
California Hospital Unpaid Overtime Lawyers
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that you and and other employees believe that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.