TRC Companies Pays $2.2M to Settle Wage Class Action
Table of Contents
Case Background
In a significant move resolving claims against a national engineering and environmental services firm, TRC Companies, Inc., and TRC Companies, LLC, agreed to pay, to settle a high-profile class action lawsuit in California. The legal action, originally filed by Plaintiff Robert Estrada, sought to hold the Defendants accountable for widespread labor code violations involving alleged underpayment and failure to provide legally mandated breaks to a large class of non-exempt employees. The parties reached this settlement before the case proceeded to a full jury trial, thereby bringing the contentious litigation to a close.
Cause
The core of the dispute centered on the Defendants' business practices regarding their California hourly workforce. The complaint asserted that TRC Companies failed to adhere strictly to the numerous, detailed requirements of the California Labor Code, which provides some of the strongest worker protections in the country. Estrada claimed these failures resulted from systemic issues in the companies’ payroll, scheduling, and time-tracking systems.
Injury
The Plaintiff and the putative class members alleged they suffered financial injury due to the Defendants’ employment practices. This injury included lost wages from unpaid minimum wages and overtime, a lack of required compensation for missed meal and rest periods, and statutory penalties stemming from inaccurate pay stubs and delayed final paychecks upon separation from the company. The lawsuit argued that these labor code violations constituted a direct and calculable economic loss for hundreds of past and current employees.
Damages Sought
The initial complaint demanded a substantial financial remedy for the aggrieved employees. The relief sought included compe
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