OC Communications, Inc. Settles Labor Law Violations and Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit

OC Communications, a “tech talent supplier” that works on a contract basis with the Comcast Corporation has agreed to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of unpaid overtime and other labor law violations.

Though the company claims to hire the best talent and provide them with the best work environment, the lawsuit alleges this is not the case. Many techs claim they were not compensated for the overtime hours they worked and they were denied breaks. There were also techs that claimed they had to purchase their own tools for work.

The class action lawsuit, filed in San Francisco and naming Comcast in addition to OC Communications, claims numerous employees were treated in violation of state and federal labor laws.

Company Asked Employees to Work Overtime without Reporting It

According to Desidero Soto, one of the suit’s lead plaintiffs, the company scheduled him for more than 30 jobs in a day and advised him to work through his meal breaks. Soto explained a typical workday would include eight jobs. He reported that his meals were eaten while driving from one job to the next and he was required to be reachable by phone at all times and be available for work if a call came in.
Soto and others named in the lawsuit regularly worked 2.5 hours each day “off-the-clock.”

According to a tech in Margate, Florida, his employer “… required me to write that my beginning time was typically an hour after I actually started working, and OCC typically required me to write that I stopped working several hours before I typically stopped working. If I did not underreport my time as instructed, OCC would manipulate my time cards to reduce my total work time.”

Other employees said they were further violated by being forced to purchase their own work equipment, including drills and accessories, pliers, screwdrivers, staple guns, cable, and several types of boots and pants.

On March 1, 2019, OC Communications and Comcast agreed to a settlement that would split $7.5 million with 4500 techs after legal fees were paid.

Plaintiffs were instructed to take into account the risk that OC Communications might not be able to pay them a significant amount of the damages claimed in the suit when determining whether the settlement was acceptable. They were also advised that the court might decline to find Comcast liable, further increasing the risk OC Communications would be able to afford the damages.

Experienced Law Firm Represents Employees Victimized by Labor and Wage Violations

If you have been asked to misreport time worked or your employer is making unreasonable demands, you might have a right to take legal action.There are laws restricting what employers can require of employees.

For more information or to discuss your case, contact Heavens Law at 888.897.5377 to schedule a free consultation.