Class Action Mediation
Wage and hour Class Actions require a mediator with specialized knowledge and skill. These cases often involve thousands of putative class members, multiple law firms, corporate representatives, and significant sums of money at issue. While still employment litigation, class actions are uniquely complex and demand a mediator who understands both the law and how to structure settlement processes that can withstand judicial review.
Steven G. Mehta’s Experience in Class Action Mediation
Mr. Mehta mediates class action cases on a regular basis across counties throughout California. His experience spans disputes involving small businesses with a few dozen employees to major corporations with thousands of workers. Over the years, he has developed the ability to evaluate and resolve class cases of every scale, tailoring his approach to the size, scope, and complexity of each matter.
Unique Challenges of Class Action Mediation
While the goal of mediation is the same — to resolve disputes in a non-binding, confidential process — class actions present unique hurdles that make settlement more challenging than in individual cases:
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Court Approval Required: Any settlement in a class action must receive preliminary and final approval from the court. Even when the parties agree, the court may reject the settlement, requiring further negotiation.
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Extensive Case Data: Parties often need detailed information such as class size, workweeks, pay periods, and statistical analyses of liability before a settlement can be reached.
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Absent Parties’ Interests: Unlike individual actions, class cases must account for the rights of absent class members who may later object to the settlement.
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Settlement Administration: Agreements must be structured in ways that allow for effective distribution of settlement funds, handling of objections, and clear release terms.
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Taxation and Allocation Issues: Questions about payroll tax deductions, allocations between wages and penalties, and the language of the release can complicate negotiations.
A Process That Anticipates Complexity
Because of these challenges, class action mediations require thorough preparation and sometimes multiple sessions. Steve ensures the necessary data is in place and guides the parties toward agreements that balance business realities with the requirements of the law. When additional follow-up is necessary, Steve is tenacious in keeping parties engaged until resolution is reached.
Commitment to Resolution
Class actions can be long, costly, and procedurally complex. With experience, persistence, and creativity, Steven G. Mehta helps parties overcome obstacles and craft enforceable settlements that protect both sides from the risks of prolonged litigation.
Steven G. Mehta mediates disputes in employment law so that both sides can reach a fair settlement and move on to other matters. Business owners and managers need not spend their time and their energy dealing with legal claims. Plaintiffs can move forward with their lives. Any type of employment case could be mediated and these include misclassification, wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, wrongful termination, and also contract disputes.
Sample Cases
Staffing Issues and Break Violations
This case involved allegations of widespread wage and hour violations in a senior care facility, including off-the-clock work, missed meal and rest breaks due to understaffing, failure to reimburse business expenses, and underpayment of double-time wages. Plaintiffs cited a 92.9% meal period violation rate. The action covered approximately 5,000 workweeks and required extensive analysis of timekeeping and staffing records.
Mid-Sized Case Involving Breaks, Wages, and Expenses
Employees alleged violations involving meal and rest breaks, unpaid wages, reimbursement for business expenses, and inaccurate wage statements. The class included approximately 1,100 employees and covered 38,000 workweeks. The case required review of payroll data, expense policies, and detailed statistical sampling to determine damages exposure.
Large-Scale Class Action Involving 25,000+ Employees
This case involved a nationwide retail chain with approximately 25,000 employees and 1.6 million workweeks at issue. Claims included improper rounding practices, unpaid time due to managerial approval delays, meal and rest break violations tied to chronic understaffing, failure to pay vacation wages, and disputes over reimbursement policies. The size and scope of the class presented significant settlement administration challenges.
Labor Code Disputes in a Nonprofit Setting
Plaintiffs, consisting of current and former non-exempt employees at a nonprofit organization, alleged violations including improper rounding of time, missed meal and rest breaks, and policies requiring employees to remain on duty. The class-wide nature of the claims required careful attention to both compliance practices and the organization’s financial capacity.
Complex Class Action Involving 19,000+ Employees
A large healthcare system faced claims of wrongful termination and wage and hour violations impacting more than 19,000 employees across nearly 2 million workweeks. The case included disputes over timekeeping systems, compliance with state-mandated breaks, and payroll accuracy. The size of the class required extensive settlement structuring and court approval.
Field-Based Employment Class Action
Engineers and scientists working in rural areas alleged significant off-the-clock work, unrecorded meal periods, and non-compliant rest break policies. The employer disputed the extent of liability, citing challenges in monitoring field-based employees. The class structure required careful data analysis to assess damages and determine potential remedies.
Expense Reimbursement & Off-the-Clock Tech Use
Employees alleged that they were required to use personal devices for work-related communications and tracking, without reimbursement, and that off-the-clock technology use was common. Additional claims included missed meal periods and improper wage statements. The class-wide issues required a creative settlement approach that addressed both financial recovery and future compliance measures.