CA Supreme Court Holds Meal And Rest Break Premiums Are "WAGES"

• Published date: 30 May 2022
• Subject Matter: Employment and HR, Employee Benefits & Compensation
• Law Firm: Kelley Drye & Warren LLP
• Author: Ms Kimberly C. Carter and Ronnie Arenas

On May 23, 2022, the California Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc., 40 Cal. App. 5th 444 (2019). The Court reversed in part the decision of the Court of Appeal by holding that premium pay for missed meal and rest breaks constitutes "wages" that can give rise to derivative claims for inaccurate wage statements (Labor Code section 226) and waiting time penalties (Labor Code section 203). The Court also affirmed that the default prejudgment interest rate of seven percent set forth in the state Constitution applies to such premiums. The Court's ruling as to derivative claims will have significant impact, including increasing the exposure for employers in class action lawsuits involving unpaid meal and rest break premiums.

Gustavo Naranjo, a former security officer for Spectrum Security Services, Inc., filed a class action lawsuit alleging that Spectrum failed to provide its employees with meal and rest breaks. Naranjo's suit sought damages and penalties for Spectrum's alleged failure to report the premium payment on the employees' wage statements and failure to timely provide the payments to the employees upon their discharge or resignation. The Court of Appeal held that employees are not entitled to pursue derivative waiting time and inaccurate wage statement penalties for meal and rest break premiums because such premiums are "penalties" not "wages." Mr. Naranjo appealed the Court of Appeal's decision.

The California Supreme Court granted review, and...