Case: Miceli v. Doe Coffee (Case No. BC557239)
Court: Superior Court of Los Angeles
Judges: Honorable Amy D. Hogue; Honorable Maren E. Nelson
Date: May 31, 2017
Recovery: Hogue & Belong obtained a settlement of $2,375,000 against Doe Coffee.
Facts and Allegations
Defendant Doe Coffee company has locations in several states and about 10,000 hourly employees in the State of California. This Coffee company had an illegal meal break waiver. California law requires that an employer provide and authorize each employee one 30-minute meal no later than the end of the fifth hour of work. The meal period can be waived so long as (1) the employee works no more than 6 hours, and (2) there is mutual consent by the employer and the employee. To save on labor costs, Coffee company scheduled its employees for 6 hour shifts, and automatically waived its employees’ entitlement to a meal break, not giving the employee a say in the matter. If the employer violates the meal period laws, then the employer owes one hour at your hourly rate as a penalty.
Hogue & Belong and their co-counsel were able to obtain compensation on behalf of all hourly coffee workers for this illegal meal break waiver. learn more.