In a significant legal development, a former employee has filed a class action lawsuit against a major distribution company for alleged labor law violations. The complaint, lodged by Raymond Vasquez on September 12, 2024, in the Superior Court of California for the County of Sacramento, targets Red Bull Distribution Company and accuses it of multiple infractions related to employee compensation and working conditions.
Raymond Vasquez, who worked as an Area Sales Manager from February 2019 until August 1, 2024, alleges that Red Bull Distribution Company failed to pay all overtime wages and sick pay due to incorrect calculations of the "regular rate of pay." According to Vasquez, the company also violated meal and rest period policies by not allowing non-exempt employees to take timely breaks or compensating them properly when breaks were missed. "Defendant uniformly failed to properly calculate and pay overtime wages at the proper legal rate," states the complaint. Additionally, Vasquez claims that Red Bull issued inaccurate wage statements and did not reimburse necessary business expenses such as cell phone use.
The lawsuit outlines several specific accusations: failure to pay all overtime wages, meal period violations, rest period violations, failure to pay all sick time, wage statement violations, waiting time penalties, failure to reimburse necessary business expenses, and unfair competition. These allegations are based on various sections of the California Labor Code and Business and Professions Code. For instance, Labor Code § 510 requires employers to compensate employees at one-and-a-half times their regular rate for hours worked beyond eight in a day or forty in a week. Vasquez argues that Red Bull's practices led to underpayment for these overtime hours.
Vasquez is seeking multiple forms of relief from the court. He requests certification of the proposed classes—current or former non-exempt hourly employees who worked for Red Bull in California over different periods—and aims to recover unpaid wages, restitution, penalties, attorney’s fees, and other related costs. The plaintiff also seeks declaratory relief and restitution under California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq., which deals with unfair competition.
Representing Vasquez are attorneys Joshua S. Falakassa from Falakassa Law P.C. and Mehrdad Bokhour from Bokhour Law Group P.C., both based in Los Angeles. The case is being overseen by Judge M.M. Chapman under Case No.: 24ct3fO18185.