$575K Settlement: Valles v. Talbert Labor Class Action

Case Background

In a significant labor law case for the Orange County region, former employee Miguel Valles brought a class action lawsuit against his previous employer, Talbert Architectural Panel & Door, Inc. (TAPD). Mr. Valles filed the complaint on December 14, 2020, in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, initiating a dispute that eventually impacted hundreds of current and former non-exempt employees. The lawsuit accused the architectural supplier of widespread failure to meet California’s stringent labor requirements, alleging that the company’s payroll and scheduling practices had shortchanged its workforce over a four-year period.

Cause

The lawsuit centered on allegations that Talbert Architectural Panel & Door had systemically violated multiple provisions of the California Labor Code. The core of the complaint stated that the company failed to compensate its non-exempt workers accurately for the time they worked. These failures stemmed from alleged improper record-keeping and payroll policies that did not fully account for all mandatory wages and rest entitlements. The company denied that it bore responsibility for any such breaches.

Injury

The Plaintiff and the class of affected employees claimed they had suffered financial damages because of these labor violations. Specifically, employees reported they did not receive the correct minimum wages and overtime pay they earned. Beyond the wage shortfalls, the employees claimed the company failed to provide or properly compensate for legally mandated meal and rest periods, resulting in accrued wage penalties. The injuries also extended to technical violations, as the employees argued they had received pay stubs that were inaccurate, leaving them unable to verify their own compensation.