Thousands of Comcast workers win $7.5 million settlement in wage and hour lawsuit

Employers are legally required to pay their employees wages they are owed. This includes compensation for meal and rest breaks. Failure to do so is a violation of federal and California labor laws. When large companies commit wage and hour violations, their actions can affect thousands of employees.

Comcast Corp. and O.C. Communications Inc. (OCC) recently agreed to pay a $7.5 million settlement to end a federal class-action lawsuit against them. OCC is a tech talent supplier that provides Comcast with workers who install phone, television, cable, internet and security services. Around 4,500 technicians are expected to split the settlement amount.

The companies were accused of denying workers meal breaks and failing to pay them overtime and minimum wages. The technicians sometimes worked up to 60 hours each week. Some workers had to buy their own tools and were not reimbursed for expenses. Additionally, Comcast and OCC did not provide them with accurate, itemized wage statements as required under California law.

One of the lead plaintiffs said his supervisor told him to work through meal periods. He had no choice but to eat while driving between jobs. Another plaintiff told the court that OCC instructed him to underreport his hours and manipulated his timecards to reduce his total work time.

The lawsuit was first filed in January 2017 and took around two years to resolve. The court initially rejected the settlement because it wanted assurance that the employers would change their practices and make sure such violations did not happen again.

If you suspect your employer owes you unpaid wages or overtime, contact the employment lawyers at McCormack & Erlich.