Employee class action lawsuits accuse companies of worker misclassification, wage law violations (2024)

Employee class action lawsuits overview:

• Who: Last month, employees filed class action lawsuits against Geico, Ross Stores Inc. and Lady Jane’s Haircuts for Men Holding Company LLC.
• Why: Current and former workers claim the companies either failed to pay them correctly or misclassified them.
• Where: The class action lawsuits were filed in Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan federal courts.

American workers filed a trio of class action lawsuits last month, arguing their current or former employers either failed to pay them correctly or misclassified them.

An individual may choose to file a class action lawsuit against their current or past employer if they determine the company wronged them and other similarly situated employees in some way.

In addition to the class action lawsuits, last month, two class action settlements resolved claims involving employee compensation.

Geico failed to pay remote representatives for all hours worked, class action says

A former Geico sales representative filed a class action lawsuit against Geico last month, arguing the insurance company failed to pay its employees for all worked hours.

The former Geico worker argues the company used a Cisco software application called Finesse to track the amount of time a remote sales representative is logged in yet allegedly failed to track the time a worker spent performing other work-related activities.

Geico’s remote sales reps needed to perform off-the-clock tasks prior to logging into Finesse, such as powering on their computer, loading Microsoft Windows and connecting to Geico’s virtual private network, the Geico class action alleges.

The former Geico worker argued remote sales reps also needed to load programs to handle sales calls and read and respond to emails without payment.

Geico is accused of violating overtime wage requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Ross made employees work off the clock during meal periods, class action says

A former employee filed a class action lawsuit against Ross Stores Inc. in October, claiming the discount store company failed to pay its workers overtime wages as required by the FLSA.

The former Ross employee argues the store regularly required workers to perform off-the-clock work during their meal periods, allegedly as a way to reduce labor costs.

Ross would go so far as to edit the compensable time of workers who failed to clock out during their meal periods to make sure that they would not receive any pay during that time, the Ross class action alleges.

The plaintiff filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of full-time hourly employees of Ross who worked at any of its locations nationwide during the applicable limitations period.

Class action claims Lady Jane’s misclassified hair stylists as independent contractors

A trio of stylists filed a class action lawsuit against Lady Jane’s Haircuts for Men Holding Company LLC last month, arguing the men’s grooming salon misclassified them as independent contractors.

The hair stylists argue Lady Jane’s classifies its hair stylists as independent contractors despite the circ*mstances of their employment making them employees under both state and federal laws.

Being classified as independent contractors prevented the hair stylists from being compensated with legally mandated minimum wage and overtime pay for all hours worked, according to the Lady Jane’s class action.

“Defendants failed to pay Plaintiffs and the FLSA Collective a direct wage, which resulted in a violation of the FLSA minimum wage provision,” the Lady Jane’s class action states.

The stylists want to represent a class of Lady Jane’s hair stylists who work at any of its salons outside of the state of Ohio.

Global Trade Hub agrees to $142,000 sexual harassment, discrimination settlement

Last month, Global Trade Hub agreed to pay $142,000 to end Illinois attorney general claims the company failed to provide its workers with overtime wages and engaged in discrimination and sexual harassment.

The settlement will benefit a class of Illinois employees who worked for Global Trade Hub, Eve and Utucu from Oct. 11, 2020, to Aug. 1, 2022.

Global Trade Hub, a trade and investment company, also agreed to strengthen its sexual harassment, discrimination, employee classification and recordkeeping policies, per the settlement agreement.

McGee Electric to pay $950,000 minimum wage, overtime settlement

In OCtober, McGee Electric agreed to pay $950,000 to end claims it failed to pay workers both their proper minimum wage and overtime wages in an alleged violation of California labor laws.

The settlement agreement will benefit a class of non-exempt workers employed by McGee Electric from May 21, 2017, to July 22, 2023.

McGee Electric was also accused of failing to provide workers with proper meal and rest breaks and committing other wage infractions that violated California labor laws.

Have you been involved in a class action lawsuit against a current or former employer? Let us know in the comments.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• S-Trip employee class action settlement approved by judge
• Allstate class action alleges company failed to pay employees entitled bonuses
• GM, Canadian auto workers reach contract deal, ending strikes
• Hershey’s class action alleging company uses child labour, slavery in supply chain certified

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