Storm Water Inspection & Maintenance Services (SWIMS) has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle a class action and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit that accused the company of violating labor laws regarding employees’ breaks and wages. SWIMS disputes the allegations.
The settlement class includes SWIMS employees who worked in California from Nov. 17, 2016, through Oct. 11, 2022. Notices have been sent to the class.
Plaintiffs alleged in the lawsuit that SWIMS violated labor laws regarding providing meal periods and rest breaks; they also alleged the company did not pay overtime, minimum wages and proper wages owed upon employment termination.
SWIMS was accused of similar violations under California’s PAGA law. Those allegations included that the company did not maintain required records or issue itemized wage statements.
Storm Water Inspection & Maintenance Services claims it is “California’s most experienced storm water team” that works with municipalities and other government jurisdiction with the goal of reducing pollution in stormwater runoff that reaches coastlines and waterways, according to the company’s website.
California’s Private Attorneys General Act authorizes employees to file lawsuits to recover civil penalties on behalf of themselves and other employees. The law was enacted in 2004, and was meant to help the state’s labor enforcement agencies, which could not meet the rising occurrences of labor code violations. Under PAGA, aggrieved...
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