Juan Soto, a former employee of a well-known Italian marketplace chain, has filed a lawsuit alleging significant labor violations. The complaint was lodged in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, on April 18, 2025, against Eataly Silicon Valley, LLC. Soto claims that the company engaged in unlawful payroll practices that resulted in underpayment and failure to provide accurate wage statements.
The case centers around allegations that Eataly Silicon Valley failed to pay employees for all hours worked due to an unlawful payroll rounding policy. Juan Soto, representing himself and other similarly affected employees, asserts that this practice led to consistent underpayment for both regular and overtime hours. "Defendant's rounding policy/practice is not neutral on its face or in its application," the complaint states, emphasizing that the policy disproportionately benefited the employer at the expense of employees' rightful earnings.
Soto's complaint also highlights failures in calculating overtime compensation correctly. According to the filing, Eataly did not include all forms of remuneration—such as bonuses and incentives—in determining employees' regular rate of pay for overtime purposes. This oversight allegedly violated multiple sections of the California Labor Code, including §§ 204, 210, 510, and others related to wage orders.
Furthermore, Soto accuses Eataly of issuing inaccurate wage statements by omitting essential details such as gross wages earned and total hours worked. The complaint points out discrepancies like incorrect employer names and addresses on these statements, violating Labor Code § 226(a). As a result of these alleged infractions, Soto seeks civil penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), aiming to recover fines for each violation per employee per pay period.
The lawsuit seeks various forms of relief from the court. Primarily, it demands civil penalties as outlined by PAGA for each labor code violation committed by Eataly Silicon Valley. Additionally, Soto requests attorneys' fees and costs incurred during litigation. The overarching goal is not only to secure compensation for affected employees but also to enforce compliance with California's labor laws.
Representing Juan Soto 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 reviewed under Case No.: 25CV463876 in the Superior Court of California for Santa Clara County.