California is the nation’s factory, grocer and seat of innovation. The largest part of the state’s ability to attract and retain some of the world’s best workers is the government’s recognition of basic and advanced workers’ rights.
When employees’ rights are violated in the workplace, the victims may consider recourse to civil law to rectify the situation. This may include compensation for lost wages and payments to punish employers for the violation. Beyond damages, lawsuits can clarify employee rights and create better workplaces.
A warehouse associate at a California logistics company recently sued his employers over a bonus payment. The result may compensate other associates who were subject to the rules that he challenged.
The subject of the suit is a daily bonus for associates who worked on weekends. Although the policy stated bonuses were payable only upon completion of the shift, the plaintiff invoked the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement’s policy over how bonuses are earned.
The California Supreme Court ruled that bonuses are earned over the shift’s hours, not just at the end of a shift. Although the bonus policy was ruled as void, the court stated workers should be retroactively awarded payments equivalent to hours within a shift.
People who have been underpaid, unfairly fired or did not receive due benefits may have a case for rights violations or wrongful termination. An attorney can help victims of workplace rights violations assemble evidence of violations and file the appropriate documents with the courts for settlements, jury verdicts and other conclusions of civil lawsuits.
Source: Mondaq, “California Employment Law Notes Newsletter March 2018,” Anthony J. Oncidi, March 19, 2018