Supreme Court of California

In the context of workplace-related claims for meal and rest periods, the "additional hour of pay" provided for in Labor Code section 226.7 constitutes a wage or premium pay subject to a three-year statute of limitations, and not a penalty subject to a one-year statute of limitations.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/16/2007
• Published 04/16/2007

Judges

• MORENO, J.

Court

• Supreme Court of California

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• Seyfarth Shaw,Robert W. Tollen, San Francisco, and George E. Preonas, Los Angeles, for Defendant and Appellant., Cooley Godward Kronish, Michelle C. Doolin, Lori R.E. Ploeger, Leo P. Norton and Kelly A. Weber, San Diego, for The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Steven B. Katz, Los Angeles, for Circuit City Stores, Inc., and Chevron U.S.A., Inc., as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Sidley Austin and Jeffrey A. Berman, Los Angeles, for California Association of Health Facilities as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Law Offices of Steven Drapkin and Steven Drapkin, Los Angeles, for California Employment Law Council, Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, California Chamber of Commerce, California Restaurant Association, Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, Airline Industrial Relations Conference and California Lodging Industry Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, Richard J. Simmons and Geofrey D. DeBoskey, Los Angeles, for Employers Group, California Retailers Association, National Retail Federation and California Hospital Association as Amici Curiae on behalf of Defendant and Appellant., Hastings Civil Justice Clinic, Donna M. Ryu, San Francisco, Nancy M. Stuart and Miye A. Goishi, for Plaintiff and Respondent., Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld, David A. Rosenfeld, Theodore Franklin, Suzanne M. Murphy, Patricia M. Gates, Anne I. Yen, Alameda, and Jessica Christensen, for Alameda County Central Labor Council, California Conference of Machinists, Contra Costa County Central Labor Council, National California Carpenters Regional Council, SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West, South Bay Central Labor Council, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District Lodge 725, AFL-CIO, as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Respondent., Cohelan & Khoury, San Diego, and Michael D. Singer, for California Employment Lawyers Association as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Respondent., California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc., Cynthia L. Rice;  Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center, Matthew Goldberg and Michael Gaitley for Maria Leticia Banda, Asian Law Caucus, Inc., Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Centro Legal de La Raza, East Bay Community Law Center, Garment Worker Center, Golden Gate Women's Employment Rights Clinic, The Impact Fund, Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance, La Raza Centro Legal, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, Stanford Community Law Clinic, Sweatshop Watch, Young Workers United and Rocia Zetina as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Respondent., Neyhart, Anderson, Flynn & Grosboll, John L. Anderson and Scott M. DeNardo, San Francisco, for California Teamsters Public Affairs Council and California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union as Amici Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Respondent., Roxborough, Pomerance & Nye, Michael B. Adreani, Woodland Hills, and Marina N. Vitek, for Jennifer Augustus as Amicus Curiae on behalf of Plaintiff and Respondent.