Illegal Rest Break Policy Kept Personnel On Premises, Says Former LAX Stratim Employee

Illegal rest break policy required all Stratim employees to stay on the premises during breaks, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week. The representative action was filed in the California Superior Court in Los Angeles County.  The California employment attorneys of Zakay Law Group and Blumthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik & De Blouw filed the complaint on August 15, 2019 on behalf of a former Stratim employee and on behalf of the State of California.

The Plaintiff worked for Stratim as a shuttle driver, driving travelers to and from the LAX airport and car rental locations.

The complaint alleges a cause of action for violations of the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA).  PAGA deputizes private individuals to pursue violations of the California labor code on behalf of the State of California.  In the Complaint, the Plaintiff contends that Stratim adopted an illegal rest break policy, which requires all employees to stay on the premises during their paid 10-minute rest breaks.  According to the complaint, those breaks must allow employees to be completely free from the control of the employer, including having the ability to step away from the work premises.  Instead, Stratim’s policy forces employees to remain on the premises and, according to the Plaintiff, subject to the Defendant’s control.  In addition, the lawsuit also contends that the Plaintiff’s job with Stratim required her to use her personal cell phone, but Stratim failed to reimburse her for that expense.

The lawsuit seeks monetary penalties for each violation of the California labor code on behalf of the Plaintiff, as well as all other “aggrieved employees” who worked for Stratim during the last year.

For more information about the lawsuit, please review the filed complaint here.

If you believe you are the subject of an illegal rest break policy, please contact our California employment attorney today for a free consultation.