In recent news, Libra Staffing and Samuel Hale face class action allegations. Plaintiffs allege the company engaged in wage and hour violations and overtime violations.

The Case: Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC

The Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court

The Case No.: 23STCV25896

The Plaintiff: Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC

The plaintiff in the case, Aurora Gonzalez, filed a class action complaint against the defendant, citing overtime pay violations. Gonzalez was employed by the defendants in April 2022 and worked for them through May 2022. Gonzalez was paid on an hourly basis as a non-exempt employee and, as such, was entitled to all legally required meal breaks and rest periods as well as the payment of minimum wage for all hours worked and overtime wages as outlined by labor law for all hours worked over 8 in one day or 40 in one workweek.

The Defendant: Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC

The defendant in the case, Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC, is a Florida limited liability company that conducts a substantial amount of business in Los Angeles County, where the plaintiff works. Samuel Hale operates a professional employer organization that provides various business services, including administrative tasks, payroll services, benefits administration, etc. Libra Staffing and Samuel Hale are listed as joint employers of Aurora Gonzalez in Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC. Gonzalez’s class action complaint alleges that Libra Staffing and Samuel Hale utilized uniform policies and practices that failed to compensate employees for all their hours worked fully.

The Allegations: Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC

According to the class action allegations, the defendant failed to provide legally compliant meal and rest periods, failed to compensate employees for missed meal and rest periods accurately, failed to provide payment for all hours worked, failed to compensate employees for off-the-clock work, failed to pay workers for overtime hours at the correct regular rate of pay, failed to pay workers meal rest premiums at the regular rate, failed to reimburse workers for business expenses, and failed to issue accurate itemized wage statements to their employees (showing hourly wage rates applicable during the designated period, and all hours worked). Plaintiffs in the case argue that the defendant's uniform practices and policies were purposefully designed to avoid full payment for workers for all hours worked, which was economically damaging to workers while allowing the company to create an unfair advantage over competitors in compliance with labor laws.

The Case: Aurora Gonzalez v. Libra Staffing Inc. and Samuel Hale, LLC

Gonzalez filed the wage and hour and overtime pay class action seeking relief for herself and members of the class who were economically injured due to the defendant’s uniform practices and policies about payroll record-keeping practices, wage payment, and overtime pay calculation policies. The case is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court of the State of California.

If you have questions about how to file an overtime complaint, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced California employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.