Jury finds systemic wage violations for more than 33,000
hourly employees in Washington
state based on unlawful timeclock rounding and second meal
period violations.
SEATTLE, May 10, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The judgment in Bennett, et. al v. Providence
Health & Services, was entered in King County Superior Court
yesterday, the culmination of a two-week trial which took place
late last month. Providence is
ordered to pay more than 33,000 of its hourly employees more than
$229 million, exposing years of wage
violations due to unlawful time rounding and meal period
violations.
The class-action complaint was initially filed in 2021 on
behalf of Providence nurses,
technicians, medical assistants, and other hourly caregivers. It
alleged Providence
both systematically denied statutorily required second meal periods
and consistently underpaid workers by using an unlawful timeclock
rounding policy. An analysis of timeclock and pay records of hourly
workers found that over the course of 5 years, Providence failed to pay for more than 234,000
hours of time worked.
The jury awarded $90.3 million for
unpaid and missed second meal breaks, with an additional
$9.3 million for unpaid wages due to
rounding. Just over $1.3 million was
deducted based on employees who knowingly waived their second meal
breaks. The total damages were doubled due to the Court's summary
judgement ruling in January of this year, which found Providence willfully committed these wage
violations. Statutory interest brings the total owed to more than
$229 million.
"It was a good day for healthcare workers in Washington," said Jason Rittereiser, managing partner of HKM's
Seattle office who represented the
healthcare workers. "This verdict will impact workers not just in
Washington but throughout the
country. It sends a clear message to healthcare corporations
everywhere: if you withhold wages from your employees, you will be
held accountable."
The 33,000 health care workers in the class are represented by
HKM Employment Attorneys and Peter
Stutheit of Stutheit Kalin, LLC. The class is comprised of
all hourly workers employed at Providence in Washington state who lost wages due to these
practices between September 2018 and
May 2023.
More information and updates can be found at
hkm.com/bennett-v-providence/.
CONTACT:
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP
www.hkm.com
Ali O'Neil
(206) 960-4492
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SOURCE HKM Employment Attorneys LLP