A California court recently approved a $15 million settlement to resolve a class action brought by Verizon employees who claimed they were not paid directly due to the company’s failure to issue accurate wage statements.
The lawsuit, initially filed in April 2010 by a former Verizon field technician, alleged that Verizon California Inc. violated the California Labor Code and the code’s Private Attorney General Act by issuing inaccurate pay stubs that failed to list the pay period beginning date, applicable hourly rates, and number of hours worked at each rate. Further details of the case were reported by Law 360 (subscription required).
The class of plaintiffs is comprised of California employees who were paid bi-weekly and received itemized income statements between April 1, 2009 and May 2011. The settlement agreement could potentially affect 6,800 employees who were issued approximately 223,000 wage statements during the class period.
The California Labor Code provides for punitive damages in the amount of $100 per wage statement if there is continued class certification, proof at trial that intentional violations occurred, and that the class suffered injuries as a result of receiving incomplete pay stubs. An earlier motion by Verizon to dismiss the class action was denied by a Los Angeles County Superior Court.
If you have questions regarding your compensation or potential wage violations, the employment attorneys in Sommers Schwartz’s Complex Litigation Group are available to discuss your concerns.
