Employee Files $50 million Labor Suit vs Costco

Employment and Labor Law news – State May 15, 2009

San Diego – A full-time warehouse clerk in San Marcos has filed a lawsuit against Cosco for labor law violations, seeking no less than $50 million for her and the class, along with other damages and fees.

Mary Pytelewski, who worked for more than a decade in the company, filed the suit in California Superior Court in San Diego.

According to the complaint, the Washington-based company required employees “to work off the clock, failed to pay overtime, and required employees to remain locked inside the store even after they have signed out after the shift”.

Pytelewski said they were asked to stay inside the warehouse every night for approximately 15 minutes after they finished work, which were off the clock, while store managers perform closing routines.

Costco said the practice is necessary for store security but Pytelewski’s attorneys said it may constitute imprisonment because workers are held against their will.

Pytelewski said she complained about it but she was “rebuffed and ridiculed” by some colleagues.