Healthcare PAGA Suit Settles for $100K Over Wage Penalties
Table of Contents
Case Background
Rosario Zavala, acting as an individual and a representative of other affected employees, launched a lawsuit against Post-Acute Care Partners Inc. in November 2023. Ms. Zavala filed the complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange. The action targeted the healthcare provider’s alleged labor practices using California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). This specific legal route allowed Ms. Zavala to stand in the shoes of the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency to seek civil penalties for violations that affected numerous employees across the company. The filing immediately placed the Defendant company under intense pressure to account for its wage and hour compliance across its California operations.
Cause
The core of the legal action centered on Post-Acute Care Partners Inc.’s alleged systemic disregard for numerous sections of the California Labor Code. Ms. Zavala claimed the company developed and enforced policies that routinely violated basic employee rights, subjecting the company to significant PAGA civil penalties.
Unpaid and Improperly Calculated Wages
The complaint asserted that the Defendant failed to accurately record and pay all wages owed to employees. This included a failure to pay the legally required minimum wage and, in certain circumstances, overtime wages. The company’s pay practices, Ms. Zavala claimed, often led to incorrect calculations of final pay, forcing workers to wait longer than legally permitted to receive all their earnings after separation from the company.
Violations of Break Periods
Ms. Zavala also alleged that the healthcare provider had failed to provide compliant rest and meal periods. California law clearly mandates specific, uninterrupted break times for employees base
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