In a striking legal move, an employee has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, accusing the company of numerous labor law violations. Alfredo Mendoza initiated this legal action on January 10, 2025, at the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County against Banksia Landscape, Inc., a California corporation.
The complaint filed by Mendoza outlines a series of alleged infractions under the Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (PAGA). The plaintiff claims that Banksia Landscape failed to pay straight and regular wages for all work performed, neglected to provide mandatory meal and rest periods, and did not comply with itemized wage statement provisions. Furthermore, the company is accused of failing to pay due wages at termination and during employment. According to Mendoza's allegations, these practices have affected not only him but also other similarly aggrieved employees who worked under similar conditions.
Mendoza argues that he and other employees were often required to work through their designated meal periods without receiving additional compensation. "Defendant continuously clocked Plaintiff out for a thirty-minute meal period even though Plaintiff worked through some or all of their meal periods," states the complaint. The document further alleges that Banksia Landscape did not authorize legally compliant rest breaks or compensate employees when such breaks were missed.
The lawsuit highlights various sections of the California Labor Code that Banksia Landscape allegedly violated. These include sections related to timely payment of wages (Cal. Lab. Code §204), overtime compensation (Cal. Lab. Code §§510 &1194), reimbursement for business expenses (Cal. Lab. Code §2802), and unlawful deduction of wages (Cal. Lab. Code §§221 & 223). Mendoza's filing seeks civil penalties for each violation per pay period as stipulated by PAGA.
As part of his demands from the court, Mendoza seeks penalties under several sections of the California Labor Code, aiming for substantial financial redress for himself and other affected employees. He also requests reasonable attorneys' fees and costs associated with bringing this action forward.
Representing Alfredo Mendoza are attorneys Peter J. Horton and Onyebuchi Okeke from Lawyers for Employee & Consumer Rights based in Burbank, CA. The case is being reviewed under Case No: 25CV456338 by Judge A. Hernandez at the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County.