Ana Balagtas has taken legal action against her former employer, alleging significant labor violations that have affected not only her but other employees as well. On February 27, 2025, Balagtas filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, against Classic Residence Management Limited Partnership. The lawsuit is brought under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which allows employees to sue for civil penalties on behalf of themselves and other aggrieved workers.
According to the complaint, Ana Balagtas worked for Classic Residence Management as an hourly-paid, non-exempt employee from January 2023 to December 2024. She claims that during her employment, the company engaged in multiple illegal practices that violated California's labor laws. These alleged violations include failing to pay for all hours worked—including minimum wage and overtime—failing to provide meal and rest periods, not maintaining accurate records of hours worked and meal periods, failing to furnish accurate wage statements, and not indemnifying employees for necessary expenditures. "Defendants' violations were willful and deliberate," states the complaint, highlighting the company's alleged disregard for labor laws.
The plaintiff seeks civil penalties on behalf of herself and other aggrieved employees who were similarly affected by these practices. Under PAGA, she is entitled to bring this action on behalf of the State of California as well. The complaint does not seek general or special damages but focuses solely on recovering penalties permitted by California Labor Code Section 2699. Balagtas also requests injunctive relief to prevent further violations by Classic Residence Management.
The lawsuit outlines several specific allegations against Classic Residence Management. It accuses the company of requiring employees to work off-the-clock without compensation and failing to provide legally mandated meal breaks within specified time frames. Furthermore, it alleges that employees were not paid all earned wages twice per month as required by law and that final wages were not paid promptly upon termination of employment. The failure to maintain accurate records has also deprived employees of their ability to verify or contest their wages accurately.
Balagtas is represented by attorneys John G. Yslas, Eugene Zinovyev, John Brown, and Gabriella Solé from Wilshire Law Firm PLC based in Los Angeles. The case was filed under Case No.: 25CV460081 with Judge L. Ayala reviewing it electronically at its filing stage.