On March 9, Alameda County (California) Superior Court Judge Paul D. Herbert granted preliminary approval to the settlement of two wage and hour class and representative actions against Equinox Holdings Inc. that would require Equinox to pay $36 million to the plaintiffs, pending final approval by the court, according to a media release from Makarem & Associates APLC, which represented the plaintiffs in the suit.
The two cases are Renee Porter, et al. v. Equinox Holdings, Inc., and Frank J. Fodera, Jr., et al. v. Equinox Holdings, Inc.
Filed in the Alameda County Superior Court in California, the Porter case was an action under California’s Private Attorneys’ General Act, which allows employee lawsuits seeking civil penalties for State of California for Labor Code violations. The Fodera case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, was a class action brought under California’s Labor Code.
The Fodera action was consolidated with the Porter action for settlement purposes.
The settlement covers more than 15,000 employees who worked for Equinox in California between April 3, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2022. The lawsuits alleged Equinox had a policy of not paying certain California employees, including personal trainers, group fitness instructors and other positions, for all time worked. Plaintiffs also challenged Equinox’s policies regarding meal and rest breaks, wage statements, and other wage and hour practices.
Preliminary approval...
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