A former employee has filed a significant legal complaint against a Delaware-based corporation, alleging multiple violations of California labor laws. The lawsuit was initiated by Oscar Serna on November 1, 2024, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, targeting Arena Stuart Rentals, Inc. and other unnamed defendants.
Oscar Serna's complaint highlights serious allegations against his former employer, Arena Stuart Rentals, Inc., accusing them of failing to comply with various provisions of the California Labor Code and Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders. The plaintiff claims that the company did not provide legally compliant meal and rest periods or pay the required premiums for non-compliant breaks. Furthermore, Serna alleges that Arena Stuart Rentals failed to reimburse necessary business expenses, furnish accurate wage statements, maintain proper employment records, and timely pay all wages due upon termination. These alleged violations are said to have affected both Serna and other aggrieved employees across California during their tenure with the company.
Serna worked as an Order Selector at Arena Stuart Rentals from January 4, 2023, until his termination on November 7, 2023. He was responsible for preparing customer orders for delivery and assisting clients at the company's Milpitas location. Throughout his employment, he was classified as a non-exempt employee earning $21.25 per hour on a bi-weekly basis. The complaint outlines numerous instances where employees were allegedly required to work through their meal periods or take shortened breaks without receiving appropriate compensation as mandated by law.
In addition to these grievances related to labor practices, Serna recounts an incident where he sustained a back injury while performing his duties in October 2023. Despite reporting the injury immediately to human resources and seeking medical attention through his provider Kaiser Permanente, he faced delays in receiving appropriate care due to procedural hurdles imposed by the company’s workers' compensation policies.
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) of 2004 for these alleged violations. It demands remedies including but not limited to civil penalties distributed between the state and aggrieved employees as stipulated by PAGA guidelines. Additionally, Serna is pursuing reasonable attorneys’ fees and litigation costs associated with bringing this enforcement action forward.
Representing Oscar Serna in this case are attorneys Graham S.P. Hollis, Hali Anderson, and Ommar Chavez from GrahamHollis APC based in San Diego. The case is being reviewed under Case No. 24CV450809 by Judge M. Arechiga at the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County.