Interstate Hotels has been accused of shorting workers on pay, according to a new class action lawsuit.
"Defendants employed many of their employees, including Plaintiff, as hourly non-exempt employees," said the lawsuit, which was originally filed in Los Angeles Superior Court but later transferred to federal court in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
"In California, an employer is required to pay hourly employees for all 'hours worked,' which includes all time that an employee is under the control of the employer and all time the employee is suffered and permitted to work," the suit says. "This includes the time an employee spends, either directly or indirectly, performing services which inure to the benefit of the employer."
The lead plaintiff and other employees allegedly "worked more minutes per shift than Defendants credited them with having worked," the suit claims.
Workers were also required to respond to radio calls from supervisors while on their meal breaks, the lawsuit states.
"California law requires an employer to authorize or permit an uninterrupted meal period of no less than 30 minutes no later than the end of the employee's fifth hour of work and a second meal period no later than the employee's tenth hour of work," the lawsuit says.
It seeks monetary damages with interest, plus attorney fees.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Joseph Lavi, Vincent C. Granberry and Elizabeth L. Harrier, of Lavi & Ebrahiman LLP, of Beverly Hills.
Depaz v. Interstate Hotels, LLC, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2:23-cv-09435