Pacific Bell Telephone Company $2,235,000 Settlement for Wage and Hour Violations

Pacific Bell Telephone Company has agreed to pay $2,235,000 to settle a class action lawsuit for alleged wage and hour violations. This settlement aims to resolve claims related to unpaid wages, unreimbursed business expenses, and other related issues.

Important Dates

• Deadline to File a Claim: The deadline to file a claim is June 27, 2024.
• Final Approval Hearing: The final approval hearing is scheduled for August 7, 2024.

Can I Claim an Award?

To be eligible for an award, you must be a Class Member. Class Members include individuals who are or were employed in California at any time during the Class Period (April 26, 2018 through and including March 21, 2024) by Pacific Bell Telephone Company as hourly, non-exempt employees or by AT&T Services, Inc. in a technician position.

Class Members who do not submit a timely and valid Request for Exclusion (the “Participating Class Members”) will give up their right to assert any claims covered by the Class Action and PAGA Settlement, which claims are identified in Sections 3.9–3.10 of the Notice (“Released Claims”).

• Tier 1: Participating Class Members who negotiated the check representing their Individual Settlement Share issued through Defendant’s Individual Settlement Program and did not participate as a Class Member in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases settlement approved by the court in those proceedings will have the amount of their Individual Settlement Share credited against payment of their calculated Individual Class Payment, but each such Participating Class Member will receive a guaranteed minimum Individual Class Payment of $25.00 from the Net Settlement Fund.
• Tier 2: Participating Class Members who did not negotiate the check representing their Individual Settlement Share issued through Defendant’s Individual Settlement Program, or who otherwise were not offered to participate in the Individual Settlement Program, and did not participate as a Class Member in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases settlement approved by the court in those proceedings, will be allocated their Individual Class Payment, but each such Participating Class Member will receive a guaranteed minimum Individual Class Payment of $125.00.

How Much are the Awards?

Participating Class Members are eligible to receive payment under the Class Settlement of their pro rata share of the Net Settlement Fund (“Individual Class Payment”) based on the number of Workweeks actually worked by each Class Member in California during the Class Period in a covered position, but specifically excluding therefrom all Workweeks covered by the approved settlement in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases proceedings identified in Section 3.11 of the Notice.

Aggrieved Employees are eligible to receive payment under the PAGA Settlement of their pro rata share of the Aggrieved Employees’ Payment (“Individual PAGA Payment”) based on the number of pay periods actually worked by each Aggrieved Employee in California during the PAGA Period in a covered position, but specifically excluding therefrom all pay periods covered by the approved settlement in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases proceedings identified in Section 3.11 of the Notice.

• Tier 1: Participating Class Members who negotiated the check representing their Individual Settlement Share issued through Defendant’s Individual Settlement Program and did not participate as a Class Member in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases settlement approved by the court in those proceedings will have the amount of their Individual Settlement Share credited against payment of their calculated Individual Class Payment, but each such Participating Class Member will receive a guaranteed minimum Individual Class Payment of $25.00 from the Net Settlement Fund.
• Tier 2: Participating Class Members who did not negotiate the check representing their Individual Settlement Share issued through Defendant’s Individual Settlement Program, or who otherwise were not offered to participate in the Individual Settlement Program, and did not participate as a Class Member in the In Re Pacific Bell Wage and Hour Cases settlement approved by the court in those proceedings, will be allocated their Individual Class Payment, but each such Participating Class Member will receive a guaranteed minimum Individual Class Payment of $125.00.

Is Proof Required to Claim the Reward?

Proof is required to claim the reward. Claimants need to provide pay stubs or other records to support their challenge to the number of Workweeks and/or Pay Periods credited to them.

• Pay stubs
• Other records

How to Claim Your Award

To claim your award, visit the official settlement website at and follow the instructions provided. Ensure you submit your claim by the deadline of June 27, 2024.

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can contact the Settlement Administrator using the contact information provided on the official settlement website.

$2,235,000 Settlement Fund Breakdown

Pacific Bell Telephone Company has agreed to pay $2,235,000 as the gross settlement amount. This amount includes payments made through the Individual Settlement Program initiated by the Defendant in December 2022.

The remaining funds comprising the Gross Settlement Fund ($1,753,792) will be used to pay the Individual Class Payments, Individual PAGA Payments, a Class Representative Service Payment, Class Counsel’s attorney’s fees and expenses, the Settlement Administrator’s expenses, all applicable payroll taxes, and penalties to be paid to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA).

Why is there a Class Action Settlement?

The class action settlement was reached to resolve claims that Pacific Bell Telephone Company violated California wage and hour laws by failing to pay regular, minimum, or overtime wages for all hours worked, provide legally compliant meal periods, timely pay all final wages upon separation of employment, furnish written, accurate, itemized wage statements, and reimburse necessary business expenses.

The Court has already preliminarily approved the proposed Class Action and PAGA Settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate. The final approval hearing is scheduled for August 7, 2024, where the Court will decide whether to grant final approval and how much of the settlement will be paid to Class Counsel, Plaintiff, and the Settlement Administrator.