Farmers Insurance Reaches Settlement in Employment Lawsuit
Insurance adjusters for Farmers Insurance and their employer have reached a $4.9 million settlement in the California labor lawsuit filed against the insurance company. According to a report in Lawyers and Settlements, the California wage and hour lawsuit was filed by adjusters who accused the insurance company of violating state and federal labor laws and owed employees unpaid wages and overtime.
Wage and Hour Lawsuit
Reports state that the 2,000 class members who worked as claims representatives in California between September 2011 and August 2016, will split the settlement. The lawsuit, which was filed in 2014, alleged company policies put in place by Farmers caused the claims adjusters to miss required breaks.
They alleged that Farmers had competitive ranking among employees and heavy work volume demands that resulted in claims adjustors working overtime and skipping breaks. Also, the plaintiffs alleged that before 2015, Farmers did not even have a meal or rest break policy. Farmers denied any wrongdoing in the case stating that its policies and procedures were compliant with both federal and state law.
What’s the Law in California?
In California, the general overtime provisions are that a nonexempt employee shall not be made to work more than eight hours in any workday or more than 40 hours in any workweek unless he or she receives one and one-half times his or her regular rate of pay for all hours in any workweek. Also, an employer is required under the law to provide an employee with a meal break of not less than 30 minutes. A second meal period is required if an employee works more than 10 hours a day.
Protecting Your Rights
These laws exist so employees are treated fairly. If you believe your employer has not paid you due wages or given you the appropriate meal breaks, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your loss including back wages owed to you. It is important in such cases to keep track of all the hours you have worked and the time for which you have not been paid. Contact an experienced California employment attorney who will fight hard for your rights, hold your employer accountable and help you seek and obtain fair compensation for your losses.