Nordstrom Distribution Center Claims Company Violated Labor Law
/
In recent news, a California worker filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that, during his time at the Nordstrom Distribution Center, the company engaged in multiple labor law violations.
Case: Ricardo Barahona v. Randstad Inhouse Services, LLC
Court: Los Angeles County Superior Court of the State of California
Case No.: 25STCV34977
Get to Know the Plaintiff: Barahona v. Randstad Inhouse
Ricardo Barahona, the plaintiff, is a former non-exempt, hourly employee. Barahona worked for the California-based Defendant from April 2025 through May 2025. After his time with the company, he filed a class action complaint on behalf of himself and other similarly situated non-exempt employees who performed work at Nordstrom Distribution Centers during the class period. He claims the defendants’ shared pay and scheduling practices caused employees to miss compliant breaks and lose wages, including pay for all time worked and related premium payments, overtime pay, etc.
Who is the Defendant in the Case?
The defendants in the case are Randstad Inhouse Services, LLC; Randstad US, LLC; and Randstad Professionals US, LLC. According to the complaint, the defendants operated as the plaintiff’s joint employers in California. The complaint describes them as operating a staffing agency and exerting control over employees’ hours, wages, and working conditions.
The Plaintiffs Allege the Defendants Violated Multiple Labor Laws
The plaintiff included multiple allegations in the original employment law complaint filing, including:
Failing to pay employees for all time worked, including off-the-clock work and work performed during meal periods.
Failing to provide employees with uninterrupted, off-duty meal breaks as outlined by labor law
Requiring employees to stay on duty/on-call during “off-duty” breaks
Failing to pay premium pay for missed breaks
Inaccurate overtime pay calculations (including inaccurate rate calculations, including incentive/bonus pay)
Failing to provide employees with accurate wage statements that comply with labor law requirements (and include all required information, i.e., correct hours/rates, etc.)
Failing to pay wages on time
Failing to reimburse employees for business expenses (including personal cell phone use)
Inaccurate timekeeping practices (including editing/rounding time)
The Main Question in the Case: Barahona v. Randstad Inhouse
The key issue is whether the defendants maintained common timekeeping and work-practice policies that caused non-exempt employees to perform compensable work without full pay, including alleged off-the-clock work and unpaid time connected to meal periods. The court will also need to determine whether employees were provided legally compliant meal and rest breaks, or whether staffing demands and work requirements effectively denied those breaks, triggering premium pay obligations. Another central question is whether the defendants correctly calculated pay obligations such as overtime (and other payments tied to the “regular rate”), including how incentive/bonus compensation was treated. Finally, the court will evaluate whether alleged pay-practice issues also resulted in inaccurate wage statements, late wage payments, and unreimbursed business expenses across the proposed class.
FAQ: Barahona v. Randstad Inhouse
Q: When must off-the-clock time be paid?
A: Any off-the-clock work the employer requires or permits must be paid.
Q: If an employee works during a meal break or while they are clocked out, are they due wages?
A: That time may be compensable and, if a compliant off-duty meal period wasn’t provided, the employee may also be owed premium pay.
Q: When are first and second meal periods required, and what makes a meal period “off-duty”?
A: A first meal period is generally required by the end of the fifth hour of a work shift, and a second may be required on longer shifts. An “off-duty” meal period means the employee is fully relieved of all work duties.
Q: How many rest breaks are required based on shift length
A: Rest breaks generally accrue with hours worked (typically 10 minutes per four hours or major fraction), and if they aren’t provided, the employee may be owed premium pay.
Q: What happens if a California employer doesn’t provide an employee with their rest breaks?
A: Employers are required to provide employees with premium pay for any missed breaks. Premium pay is one additional hour at the employee’s regular rate (owed for each workday in which a compliant meal or rest break is not provided as required).
Q: How can incentive/bonus pay affect overtime calculations and other payments tied to the regular rate?
A: Certain nondiscretionary bonuses and incentives must be included in the regular rate, which can increase overtime and other pay amounts calculated from that rate.
If you believe your employer failed to pay you for all your hours, miscalculated your overtime rates, or engaged in other labor law violations, the employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP can help. Contact one of our offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Riverside, or Chicago today to learn how to hold your employer accountable.
