Host Healthcare Faces Labor Law Violation Allegations: California Wage-and-Hour Class Action

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Host Healthcare has faced a California wage-and-hour class action before. In 2022, a federal court approved a $1.55 million class settlement in an earlier suit, Blount v. Host Healthcare. A newer class action filed in San Diego County in 2024 raises wage-and-hour concerns of its own, alleging that workers regularly missed required meal and rest breaks without receiving the extra pay California law requires.

Case: Samantha Brodish v. Host Healthcare, Inc., et al.
Court: San Diego County Superior Court of the State of California
Case No.: 24CU001979C

Who Is the Plaintiff?

Samantha Brodish filed a class action complaint against Host Healthcare, Inc. and Host Healthcare, LLC. She seeks relief for herself and other Host Healthcare workers who she says experienced the same practices. Her complaint centers on how demanding schedules affected workers’ ability to take legally required breaks.

Who Is the Defendant?

Host Healthcare, Inc. and Host Healthcare, LLC are named defendants. The company describes itself as a travel healthcare staffing business that places healthcare professionals in assignments across the country. Brodish sued them in San Diego County Superior Court.

This is not the first time the company has faced California wage-and-hour claims. Blount v. Host Healthcare was filed in November 2020 and removed to federal court in the Southern District of California in 2021. In 2022, the court gave final approval to a $1.55 million class settlement. Brodish’s case is a separate lawsuit, filed years later.

What Are the Allegations in the Complaint?

The complaint alleges that “rigorous work schedules,” inadequate staffing, and poor scheduling led to widespread Labor Code violations. Specifically, it alleges that:

  • Workers were regularly required to work more than four hours without a rest break.

  • Rest periods were denied on shifts ranging from short shifts to shifts of ten hours or more.

  • When breaks were taken, workers were often not fully relieved of their duties.

  • Workers did not receive the one hour of extra pay owed when a break is missed.

  • The company failed to pay minimum wages and overtime, to reimburse required business expenses, to pay wages when due, and to provide accurate itemized wage statements.

The complaint cites Labor Code sections 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 226.7, 510, 512, 558, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802.

What Was the Main Question in the Case?

The core question is whether Host Healthcare’s scheduling and staffing practices kept workers from taking legally compliant meal and rest periods without paying the required premium. A second question is whether the claims can proceed as a class action covering everyone who experienced the same practices. The case is pending, and no ruling on the merits has been reported.

Why Does This Case Matter to California Employees?

Missed breaks are among the most common wage-and-hour complaints in California, and healthcare workers are especially exposed.

  • Understaffing can make it hard to leave patients or duties for a break.

  • Premium pay is owed for missed breaks, even if the employee stayed busy.

  • Class actions let many workers recover together instead of filing individually.

  • The case shows how staffing-agency employees can pursue Labor Code claims in California courts.

FAQs: Brodish v. Host Healthcare

Q: How many rest breaks does California require?
A: In a typical scenario, one paid 10-minute break is required for shifts of three and a half to six hours, two for shifts over six hours up to ten, and three for shifts over ten up to fourteen. Rest breaks must be duty-free.

Q: When is a meal break required?
A: Employees must get a 30-minute, off-duty meal period when working more than five hours, and a second when working more than ten.

Q: Can workers waive meal periods?
A: Sometimes. An employee on a shift of six hours or less can waive a meal period by mutual consent. Healthcare employees on shifts over eight hours may be able to waive one of two meal periods in writing under certain wage orders.

Q: What extra pay is owed for a missed break?
A: One additional hour of pay at the employee’s regular rate for each workday a meal period isn’t provided, and one for each workday a rest period isn’t provided.

Q: Can my employer require me to stay on call during a break?
A: No. The California Supreme Court has held that rest breaks must be free of work duties, including being on call.

Q: How long do I have to file a claim for missed break pay?
A: Break premium pay is treated as wages, which can carry a three-year deadline, sometimes longer when an unfair-competition claim is added. Contact an attorney for more information. 

Were You Denied Breaks or Break Pay at Work?

Brodish v. Host Healthcare is a reminder that missed breaks are a legal issue, not just an inconvenience. If your employer hasn’t provided required meal or rest periods or the extra pay, please contact Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Knowledgeable employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in Riverside, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, and Los Angeles.