Can A Wage Dispute Be Handled As A Class Action?
Cases involving wage and hour violations are often handled as class-action lawsuits. There are several reasons for doing so; first, if an employer is committing overtime or other pay violations with one employee, it is likely to be doing the same with others; secondly, if the amount of financial damage is nominal for each employee, a class action provides an affordable way to handle the case as all employees will be included, regardless of how minimal each employee’s individual claim is. Finally, strength in numbers can provide a strong motivation for the employer to reach a reasonable settlement and provide that all affected employees get paid properly.
At the law firm of [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-3″] in Boston, our lawyers handle wage and hour violation cases both as individual lawsuits and as class actions. We have an exceptional track record of obtaining favorable resolutions, through negotiations with employers and in court. For a confidential consultation, call us at [nap_phone id=”LOCAL-REGULAR-NUMBER-2″].
What Is A Class Action?
A class action is a lawsuit that one or more representatives file on behalf of a much larger group of people, known as a class. To be handled as a class action, the legal dispute must meet the following four requirements:
- Commonality: There must be legal or factual claims that are common to the entire class.
- Adequacy: The representatives must adequately protect the interests of the class.
- Numerosity: The class must be so large as to make numerous individual lawsuits impractical (usually at least 35 – 40 employees)
- Typicality: The claims must be typical of the plaintiffs
Our Massachusetts lawyers handle class-action lawsuits involving unpaid overtime, unpaid service charges, off-the-clock work, miscalculations of commissions or bonuses, meal breaks, minimum wage, unpaid internships, misclassification of employees, and other wage and hour claims.
If an employee decides to represent the class and successfully sues on behalf of other similarly situated employees, he or she may be entitled to a “bonus” for bringing the suit. Stated another way, if an aggrieved employee brings a class action, the court will reward him or her with a financial reward in excess of what they are actually owed under the Massachusetts wage and hour statute.
For More Information About Unpaid Wage Class-Action Lawsuits
To find out if your unpaid wages claim may be handled as a class-action lawsuit, talk to the attorneys at [nap_names id=”FIRM-NAME-3″] in downtown Boston. Our phone number is [nap_phone id=”LOCAL-REGULAR-NUMBER-2″], or you can email us your questions.