SACRAMENTO – After five long years, 151 water treatment workers for Sacramento County, California will finally get the overtime pay they worked so hard to earn. The county recently agreed to settle the class action lawsuit for a total of $795,000 with the employees from the the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Elk Grove.
The plaintiffs will share $538,500 to cover their back wages with awards ranging from $200 to $5,000 depending on the employee’s job title and time worked. The rest, approximately $220,500, will go to cover their legal expenses and court costs.
The case centers around the time employees spent putting on and taking off protective equipment before and after their shifts. This practice is known as “donning and doffing” and has come under increased scrutiny as a form of wage theft since employers require workers to use protective safety gear to perform their jobs but do not compensate them for the time it takes them to gear up while on the job site.
Additionally, the plaintiffs claim they often had to attend daily briefings for which they were not compensated. By failing to compensate workers for the time spent in meetings and donning and doffing their gear, the county was in violation of California wage and labor laws which included failure to pay minimum wage and failure to keep track of all hours worked.
Don, Doff Lawsuits
Workers should be compensated for all their time they spend performing job duties while at work, even if it is a few minutes before and after a shift “officially” begins. When employers work more than 40-hours per week, they are entitled to one and a half times their regular hourly rate of pay and that time can add up to a lot of money
Furthermore, courts may see fit to award plaintiffs interest on their back wages as well as penalties on the employer to discourage future wage theft. Speaking to an attorney about one’s case is strongly encouraged.
County Worker Unpaid Overtime Lawsuits
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel 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.