In recent years, Wells Fargo has found itself embroiled in a number of high-profile labor cases. In its most recent case, a federal judge once again ruled that the bank has committed another violation of California’s labor laws. The federal judge ordered Wells Fargo to pay for $97.3 million in damages. This payment is meant for the California mortgage workers who claimed that the bank did not pay them properly for their breaks. The amount of the damages is equal to nearly 4 times what the bank claimed it owed the workers.
Details of the Class Action Suit
The class action suit that resulted in this ruling was on behalf of the Wells Fargo bankers and mortgage consultants who worked at the California bank between March 2013 and August 2017. The suit alleged that Wells Fargo did not pay its workers fair wages during their breaks. Under the labor laws of the state, employers must give their workers a paid break of 10 minutes for every 4 hours of work.
According to the ruling handed down by US District Judge Percy Anderson, the pay practices did not comply with the state law regarding these breaks. The representatives of the bank had claimed that Wells Fargo only owed the workers their regular hourly wages during the break, which meant that a fair settlement amounted to only $24.5 million for the workers represented by the class action suit.
However, the judge sided with the workers. Their position was that the payment for their breaks should also factor in the commission they earn, and this amount is much higher.
Other Labor Issues
Wells Fargo announced that it will appeal the ruling, yet it is still just another new labor issue in which the bank finds itself involved. In 2016, several former workers claimed that they were wrongfully terminated after they reported irregularities to the bank’s ethics hotline.
Another group of former Wells Fargo employees have filed a class action suit after they were supposedly terminated for their inability to meet sales goals. The suit alleged that the workers were actually fired because they protested against sales misconduct.
Aside from these cases, Wells Fargo is also embroiled in several other federal and state class action suits involving labor and wages issues.
The Benefits of Class Action Suits
Class action lawsuits allow groups of workers the chance to fight against the massive resources of a huge company with which they have a labor dispute. With such suits, workers who have been underpaid or have been wrongfully terminated can get the chance to seek compensation from their former employers.
If you feel that you have not been paid properly, or that you have been mistreated in any way by your employer, you should get in touch with an experienced class action lawyer who has experience on labor issues. The lawyer can make sure that your legal rights are properly represented, as well as the rights of other former employees who have been similarly mistreated by your company.