Wage and Hour Class Actions and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) actions enable employees to collectively seek justice against employers who violate California’s labor laws. Class actions allow current or former employees to combine their claims or sue on behalf of all employees at a company, addressing systemic issues within organizations and potentially resulting in significant payouts and policy changes. Common wage and hour class actions include unpaid overtime wages, failure to provide meal and rest breaks, misclassification of employees, failure to reimburse business expenses, and discrimination in pay or promotion. 

PAGA representative claims allow employees to file civil lawsuits against employers for Labor Code violations, acting on behalf of the State of California. Unlike class actions, PAGA claims cannot be waived by employment agreements, such as arbitration agreements, and penalties are based on pay periods worked by all employees in the year prior to filing. In PAGA settlements, 75% of the net amount goes to the State, while 25% goes to affected employees.