Walmart Settles Wage Statement Lawsuit for $35M

Walmart has just agreed to pay $35 million to resolve wage statement claims to a group of store employees. A class action lawsuit that was filed nearly four years ago in California alleged that Walmart failed to provide accurate written wage statementsas required by California law. Even though Walmart denies any wrongdoing, they have come to an agreement to pay $35 million to resolve the potential claims of approximately 265,000 current and former employees.

California State Law requires employers to furnish accuratepaystubs to its workers. The original complaint claimed that even though Walmart provided electronic wage statements it never gave its employees an option to elect paper wage statements. Foregoing giving employees an option to receive a physical paystub in order to review their pay is in direct violation of California Labor Code 226. After lengthy discovery and mediation, the $35 million settlement was regarded as a success especially facing the uncertainties and challenges of future litigation. Each affected class member will be compensated based on the number of workweeks they worked during the class period. ​

Besides California, many other states, including New York, have laws that require employers to provide accurate wage statements. It is very important to make sure you receive all the proper documentation from your employer with regard to wages. However, it is not always clear what is required by law. If you feel like you’re not getting all the wage statements necessary to understand the breakdown of how you’re getting paid, such as hourly rates, overtime, bonuses, deductions and taxes, you may not only be owed that information but compensation as well. You can speak to one of our representatives at our firm, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP, for a free and confidential phone consultation at (212)300-0375. You can also visit our website here for additional helpful information.