We successfully recovered an impressive total of $315,000 for a class consisting of 28 dedicated pest control technicians who were subjected to egregious violations of labor codes. These violations severely impacted their earnings and working conditions, highlighting a troubling disregard for employee rights. The employer employed unethical rounding practices when calculating work hours, which systematically resulted in the technicians not being compensated for all the hours they diligently worked. This practice is not only misleading but also illegal, as it undermines the principle of fair pay for labor rendered.

In addition to the issues surrounding pay calculations, the employer also engaged in further misconduct by instructing employees to clock out for their designated meal periods while simultaneously expecting them to continue working during those same periods. This blatant disregard for labor laws not only robbed the technicians of their rightful breaks but also contributed to the accrual of unpaid overtime. These violations created an environment where the technicians were unable to rest and rejuvenate, ultimately affecting their morale and productivity.

The struggle to rectify these injustices was a long and arduous battle, characterized by the employer's use of despicable litigation tactics aimed at intimidating the plaintiffs into submission. One particularly alarming tactic included sending threatening text messages to the lead plaintiff, where the employer made menacing claims about potential harm to him and his family if he did not withdraw the lawsuit. Such intimidation tactics are not only unethical but also illegal, and they demonstrate the lengths to which the employer was willing to go to avoid accountability.

Compounding these challenges, the employer attempted to settle the claims by offering the class members a mere $100 each in exchange for a release of their claims. This paltry sum was a blatant attempt to undermine the technicians' rights and diminish the severity of the violations they faced. In response, we recognized that this offer was not only unjust but also an insult to the hard work and dedication of the technicians, prompting us to take a stand on their behalf.

In our pursuit of justice, we encountered significant legal hurdles, including the trial court's initial erroneous ruling that upheld the existence of a valid arbitration agreement, which could have severely limited the technicians' ability to seek redress. To combat this, we filed an appeal (writ) to challenge this ruling, ensuring that the technicians' voices would be heard and that their claims could be properly adjudicated.

Our persistence in the face of these obstacles was crucial in turning the tide of this case.

Ultimately, our dedicated efforts bore fruit, resulting in the class of technicians receiving an average gross amount of $11,250 per person. This substantial recovery stands in stark contrast to the $100 scam the employer initially attempted to impose on them. Our commitment to fighting for the rights of these workers not only secured them fair compensation but also sent a powerful message about the importance of upholding labor laws and protecting employees from exploitation.