In August 2020, ExxonMobile and Torrance Refining Company agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by multiple employees in 2018.
The settlement, which comes after employees accused the companies of denying hourly workers law-mandated off-the-clock breaks, will require the two oil companies to pay $4.4 million.
Settlement Details
According to the lawsuit, the Torrance Exxon Refinery in California routinely denied hourly employees rest breaks, even though they worked 12-hour shifts. Under California labor laws, employees must be allowed one 10-minute break for every four hours worked. The plaintiffs stated that they were always required to have their radios on and, therefore, were never off-duty.
The plaintiffs also complained that they were not paid for their time spent working while they should have been on a rest break. They demanded that Exxon and Torrance pay hourly employees their owed wages, damages, and legal fees associated with the class-action lawsuit.
The settlement, which was agreed to in late August, will include more than 300 Torrance Exxon Refinery employees. Each employee is expected to receive approximately $9,500 from the settlement. Although they have agreed to settle, neither ExxonMobile nor Torrance has admitted fault or wrongdoing.
Contact Our Experienced California Employment Attorneys
In California, employees who share a common complaint against their employer can file a class-action lawsuit to hold the company accountable. Class-action employment lawsuits often accuse employers of unfair employee compensation and other wrongful actions. When a settlement is reached, the class employees can receive their owed wages and protect future employees from similar misconduct by the employer.
The Workplace Rights Law Group has experienced California class action employment attorneys who are passionate about advocating for class-action plaintiffs.
Our firm has the employment law skills to take on large companies like ExxonMobil, as our attorneys have nearly 75 years of combined experience. Send a message or call our employment attorneys at 818-844-5200. We will review your case for free and discuss your options with you.
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Theo Khachaturian
Theo is a trial & appellate lawyer whose practice has emphasized wage-and-hour class actions, business disputes, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and intellectual property theft. He has tried civil cases and argued before various California Courts of Appeal.