The Watkins Firm has decades of experience defending San Diego employers in PAGA and wage actions. The Private Attorneys General Act or PAGA is one of the greatest risks to San Diego area employers. PAGA allows an employee to literally step into the shoes of the California Attorney General, acting as a “proxy” on their behalf and receive a portion of all the resulting revenues generated for the State of California.
Plaintiffs attorneys are actively cultivating a single employee from a San Diego business entity with a gripe or genuine legal issue. They then use this single disgruntled employee as a “wedge” into your company, expanding the issue at hand from a single person to a class action lawsuit. PAGA actions can allow the legal process to bypass arbitration agreements within your company’s employment agreements in order to pursue civil penalties.
Defending San Diego employers in PAGA and wage actions requires extensive experience and legal skill. The provisions of the Private Attorneys General Act cover all facets of California labor law including wage and hour actions, health and safety violations, misclassification of 1099 workers or independent contractors and even unfair competition allegations.
Our proven attorneys have several strategies to reduce or eliminate your exposure to the financial penalties associated with a PAGA lawsuit or class action. There are legal strategies which allow us to “cure” the underlying issue and respond on behalf of our clients through an administrative law procedure. It is not only important to contain the PAGA action itself but to limit exposure to and the extent of plaintiff’s fees.
It is possible to prevent exposure to PAGA actions from the outset through effective employee handbooks, policies and procedures and documentation. However, when defending San Diego employers in PAGA and wage actions we work quickly to resolve exposures and limit the potential for damages and further enforcement actions.
Learn how to protect your interests as a San Diego employer. We invite you to review the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the employer defense attorneys at the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.
