Almanzar v. C & I Associates Inc. et al.
Filing
140
OPINION & ORDER re: 91 MOTION for Partial Summary Judgment as to Liability. filed by Ernst Jean Baptiste, Jorge Done, Juan Diaz, Gerasimo Eusebio Liranzo, Wilson Rossis, Michael Alberto Rodriguez, Maiker Estrella, Claudio Antonio Pimentel, Wilson Daniel Perez, Noe Oscar Paulino, Jorge Corporan, Wilson Espinosa, Constantino Acevedo, Juan Ramon Alejandro Guerrero, Jose Victor Bermudez, Frederick Malcolm, David Matos, Sergio Garcia, Raul Campusano, Fausto Pineda, Jose M . Rodriguez, Emilio Perez, Alcides Matos, Yordy M Hernandez, Wilkin Alexander Corporan, Khardryk R Artis, Cesar Almanzar, John Bennett, Joel Jimenez, James Dee Jimenez Duran, Juan Ogando, Juaneris De la Cuz, Juan Evaristo Felix Castro, Felix Corporan, William Francisco Castillo, Valentin Menaldo, Edward Jorge, Juan De La Cruz, Elinller Frias, Pedro E. Madera, Carlos Hilberto Hernandez, Marcus Reyes, Marc Azer Louis Jean, Juan Mindi-Soto, Markeith J Powell, Ernest J. Torres.The Cour t grants in part and denies in part plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment as follows: (1) summary judgment is granted to plaintiffs on their claim that defendants are liable for any week they failed to pay appropriate overtime because plaintif fs are not exempt as retail or service establishments from having to pay overtime; (2) summary judgment is denied as to plaintiffs' minimum wage claims (although all parties and the Court agree that the morning wait time is compensable) and stat e law gap time claims; (3) summary judgment is granted to plaintiffs on the ground that defendants are liable for any violations that may be proven at trial of NYLL § 193(1)(a)-(b) (lost or damaged equipment deductions), § 193(d) (written p ayroll loan repayment grievance policy), and § 195(1) (wage notices at hiring); and (4) summary judgment is denied to plaintiffs on the issue of defendants' mens rea. (As further set forth in this Order) (Signed by Judge Sidney H. Stein on 3/31/2016) (lmb)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
CESAR ALMANZAR, FELIX CORPORAN,
JUAN DE LA CRUZ, JUANERIS DE LA
CRUZ, JUAN DIAZ, JORGE DONE,
VALENTIN MENALDO, JUAN OGANDO,
MARCUS REYES, AND WILSON ROSSIS,
individually, on behalf of all others
similarly situated, and as Class
Representatives,
14‐Cv‐1810 (SHS)
OPINION & ORDER
Plaintiffs,
‐against‐
C & I ASSOCIATES, INC., C & I
TELECOMMUNICATIONS, INC.,
WILLIAM GIANNINI, NELSON
IZQUIERDO, and ANDROKE POLONIO,
Defendants.
SIDNEY H. STEIN, U.S. District Judge.
Defendants C & I Associates and C & I Telecommunications
(“Associates” and “Telecom,” respectively) are cable installation and
servicing companies. They employ technicians such as plaintiffs to install
and repair cable boxes, internet routers, modems, and other
telecommunication equipment at the homes of customers of Cablevision, an
internet and cable television service provider. Plaintiffs, who were paid by
the completed task rather than by the hour, contend that they have not
received the minimum wage and overtime pay mandated by the Fair Labor
Standards Act (“FLSA”), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201, et seq., and related New York and
New Jersey labor laws.
In August of 2014 the Court conditionally certified this litigation as a
collective action pursuant to the FLSA. Forty‐five individuals are plaintiffs
in this action. Following discovery proceedings, plaintiffs have now moved
for summary judgment solely on the question of defendants’ liability;
defendants respond primarily that the FLSA exempts them from being
obligated to pay overtime, see 29 U.S.C. § 207(i), and that, in any event,
disputed facts prohibit summary judgment. For the reasons that follow, the
Court grants in part and denies in part plaintiffs’ motion for summary
judgment.
I.
BACKGROUND
Plaintiffs install and repair telecommunications equipment for
customers of Cablevision, which is the primary client of both Associates and
Telecom. (Pls.’ Local Civil Rule 56.1 Statement of Undisputed Facts (“Pls.’
56.1”) ¶¶ 1‐2, Dkt. 122; Defs.’ Local Civil Rule 56.1 Statement of Undisputed
Facts (“Defs.’ 56.1”) ¶¶ 1‐2, Dkt. No. 108.)1 A team of four people managed
Associates and Telecom. Defendant William Giannini was initially part
owner and later the sole owner of both companies. (Dep. of William
Giannini dated Jan. 8, 2015 at 9:10‐13, 10:4‐7, 16:9‐11, Ex. 27 to Affirmation
of David Ureña dated April 17, 2015, Dkt. No. 115 (“Ureña Affirmation Dkt.
No. 115”).) Associates’ General Manager Nelson Izquierdo and supervisor
Androke Polonio managed Associates, with Polonio managing more of the
day‐to‐day issues, such as setting technicians’ schedules and arrival times.
(Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 14‐18, 21‐23; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 14‐18, 21‐23.) Izquierdo and Polonio
also initially ran Telecom until they hired Maria Giannini to do so. (Pls.’ 56.1
¶¶ 19‐20; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 19‐20.)
There is no dispute regarding how Associates functioned. Cablevision
issued work orders to individual technicians based on a schedule of the
technicians’ availability that Associates had provided to Cablevision in
advance. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶ 29; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 29.) Technicians arrived at Associates’
warehouse between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM in staggered shifts. (Pls.’ 56.1
¶ 33; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 33.) The technicians had no set end‐time to their workday,
but rather ended when they had completed their assigned work orders.
(Dep. of Nelson Izquierdo dated Dec. 19, 2014 at 175:3‐21, Ex. 1 to
Affirmation of David Ureña dated March 13, 2015, Dkt. No. 132 (“Ureña
Affirmation Dkt. No. 132”).)
Most plaintiffs worked for Associates, which is headquartered in the Bronx; at least
two plaintiffs worked for Telecom, which was based in New Jersey until it ceased
operations in 2014. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 4‐7, 9‐10; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 4‐7, 9‐10.)
1
2
The parties dispute the exact length of the technicians’ workdays and
how many days the technicians worked. Although Polonio testified that a
typical workweek was five days at eight hours per day, (Dep. of Androke
Polonio dated Dec. 16, 2014 at 14:18‐19, Ex. 29 to Ureña Affirmation Dkt. No.
115), several plaintiffs testified that they typically worked six or seven days
per week. (See, e.g., Dep. of Juan Diaz dated Nov. 21, 2014 at 40:11‐12, Ex. 22
to Ureña Affirmation Dkt. No. 115; Dep. of Jorge Done dated Dec. 4, 2014 at
28:12‐17, Ex. 5 to Ureña Affirmation Dkt. No. 132.) Numerous plaintiffs
reported working more than 40 hours in various weeks. (See, e.g., Ex. 1 to
Affirmation of Felix Corporan dated March 10, 2015, Dkt. No. 120.)
In addition to spending time completing customer service orders and
driving to customer residences, several plaintiffs testified that they were
required to spend substantial time at Associates’ warehouse both in the
morning—before driving to their work assignments—and evening—after
completing their customer service orders. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶ 42, 45‐46; Defs.’ 56.1
¶ 42, 45‐46.) In the morning, the technicians checked in, received their work
orders, and retrieved necessary equipment before heading to their
assignments. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 42; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 42.) The parties dispute how
much time was expended in these activities; it was either less than, or more
than, thirty minutes. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶ 43; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 43.) In the evening,
technicians had to return old or unused equipment and complete
paperwork for 20‐30 minutes. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 45‐46, 49, 53; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 45‐
46, 49, 53.)
As noted above, defendants paid the technicians “a straight ‘piece rate’”
based on each task completed “regardless of hours worked.” (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶ 54‐
56; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 54‐56; Dep. of Maria Giannini dated March 13, 2014 at 28:3‐
6, Ex. 28 to Ureña Affirmation Dkt. No. 115.)
II. DISCUSSION
A. Legal Standard
Summary judgment is appropriate if there are no genuine issues of
material fact and plaintiffs are entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed.
R. Civ. P. 56; Irizarry v. Catsimatidis, 722 F.3d 99, 103 n.2 (2d Cir. 2013);
Dauphin v. Chestnut Ridge Transp. Inc., 544 F. Supp. 2d 266, 270‐71 (S.D.N.Y.
2008). To avoid summary judgment, defendants must set forth specific facts
3
showing that there are genuine issues for trial. Irizarry, 722 F.3d at 103 n.2.
Defendants may not rely on “mere conclusory allegations or speculation,”
and the Court is obligated to “draw all permissible factual inferences” in
defendants’ favor. Dauphin, 544 F. Supp. 2d at 271 (citation and internal
quotation marks omitted). “A fact is material only if, based on that fact, a
reasonable jury could find in favor of the nonmoving party.” Augustin v.
Enlarged City Sch. Dist. of Newburgh, 616 F. Supp. 2d 422, 437 (S.D.N.Y. 2009).
B. Overtime
To establish plaintiffs’ FLSA overtime claims, plaintiffs must
demonstrate (1) that they are “employees”’; that defendants are
“employers”; and that Associates and Telecom “engaged in commerce” as
the FLSA defines those terms, and (2) that they worked in excess of 40 hours
in the relevant work week. 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1); see generally Irizarry, 722 F.
3d at 103‐05; Lundy v. Catholic Health Sys. of Long Island Inc., 711 F.3d 106,
113‐14 (2d Cir. 2013).2 Defendants do not dispute that plaintiffs have put
forth enough evidence to hold defendants liable for the failure of Associates
to pay overtime. (See, e.g., Defs.’ Mem. of L. in Opp’n to Plfs.’ Mot. For
Summ. J. as to Liability (“Defs.’ Opp’n”) at 5‐6.) Defendants do contend,
however, that plaintiffs have failed to put forth any evidence that shows
that any Telecom technicians worked more than 40 hours per week. (Defs.’
Opp’n at 5‐6.)
However, there is evidence in this record that at least some of the
Telecom technicians worked more than 40 hours per week. Maria Giannini,
for instance, conceded that a typical workday for Telecom’s technicians
began around 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM and ended by 5:00 PM. (Maria Giannini
Dep. at 34:4‐6.) Plaintiff Jorge Done, who worked for both Telecom and
Associates, testified that he worked six days a week at both companies.
(Done Dep. at 22:12‐16, 28:15‐18.) Even assuming that Done arrived at work
for the later 8:00 AM shift, a typical week for him would be 54 hours. Other
evidence shows that Telecom only gave its technicians one day off. (Ex. 2 to
The elements of plaintiffs’ state overtime claims are essentially the same. See Zheng v.
Liberty Apparel Co. Inc., 355 F.3d 61, 78 (2d Cir. 2003); 12 N.Y. Comp. Codes R & Regs.
tit. 12 § 142‐2.2; Thompson v. Real Estate Mortg. Network, Inc., 106 F. Supp. 3d 486, 490
(D.N.J. 2015); N.J. Stat. Ann. § 34:11‐56a4.
2
4
Reply Affirmation of David Ureña dated May 11, 2015, Dkt. No. 116.)
Numerous Telecom technicians reported that they worked more than forty
hours in a given workweek. (Ex. 6 to Ureña Reply Affirmation) Any
disputes defendants have with the precise arithmetic of hours for each
plaintiff is for determination at trial, not on this motion.
Defendants’ prime defense, however, is not that no plaintiff worked in
excess of 40 hours per week. Rather, defendants argue that the FLSA
exempts them from paying overtime altogether pursuant to the FLSA’s
“retail or service establishment” exemption, 29 U.S.C. § 207(i), which
provides as follows:
No employer shall be deemed to have violated subsection (a) of this
section [requiring overtime pay] by employing any employee of a
retail or service establishment for a workweek in excess of the
applicable workweek specified therein, if (1) the regular rate of pay
of such employee is in excess of one and one‐half times the
minimum hourly rate applicable to him under section 206 of this
title, and (2) more than half his compensation for a representative
period (not less than one month) represents commissions on goods
or services. In determining the proportion of compensation
representing commissions, all earnings resulting from the
application of a bona fide commission rate shall be deemed
commissions on goods or services without regard to whether the
computed commissions exceed the draw or guarantee.
Courts have universally subdivided this statutory mouthful into three
distinct elements that defendants must satisfy in order to invoke
successfully the exemption. Defendants must prove that: (1) Associates and
Telecom are “retail or service establishment[s]”; (2) the technicians’ “regular
rate of pay exceeded one and one‐half times the minimum hourly rate;” and
(3) more than half of the technicians’ “compensation for a representative
period (not less than one month) represented commissions on goods or
services.” See e.g., Schwind v. EW & Assocs., Inc., 371 F. Supp. 2d 560, 563
(S.D.N.Y. 2005). The employer‐defendants bear the burden of proving the
exemption. Id. See Ramos v. Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc., 687 F.3d 554, 558 (2d
Cir. 2012). Moreover, because the FLSA is a remedial act, the exemption is
5
to be “‘narrowly construed.’” Id. (citation omitted); see also A.H. Phillips, Inc.
v. Walling, 324 U.S. 490, 493 (1945).
To avoid summary judgment, defendants need only point to evidence
from which a factfinder could reasonably conclude that each of the
exemption’s elements are satisfied. On that standard, sufficient evidence
exists to support the first and third elements. First, numerous courts have
found businesses that are essentially identical to defendants to be “service
establishments” and plaintiffs offer no persuasive arguments as to why
those courts are wrong. See, e.g., Johnson v. Wave Comm GR LLC, 4 F. Supp.
3d 423, 434‐41 (N.D.N.Y. 2014); Jones v. Tucker Comms., Inc., 11‐cv‐398, 2013
WL 6072966 at *5‐10 (M.D. Ga. Nov. 18, 2013); Owopetu v. Nationwide CATV
Auditing Servs., Inc., 10‐cv‐18, 2011 WL 4433159 at *3‐7 (D. Vt. Sept. 21, 2011)
(Owopetu II). In addition, there is evidence in this record that the technicians’
“regular rate of pay” exceeded one and one half times section 206(a)’s
minimum hourly rate in at least some workweeks. See Schwind, 371 F. Supp.
2d at 567. (Exs. B, C, and D to Affirmation of Maxwell D. Rosenthal dated
April 27, 2015, Dkt. No. 109.)
However, this record lacks any evidence whatsoever that defendants’
payment scheme is based on “commission”; thus, defendants have failed to
sustain section 207(i)’s second element and defendants are therefore not
exempt from paying overtime to the technicians. 29 U.S.C. § 207(i); Johnson,
4 F. Supp. 3d at 433, 441‐44.
Although the FLSA fails to define “commission,” courts have
consistently concluded that “commission” schemes share three distinct but
interrelated features:
(1) the employeeʹs compensation must be tied to customer demand
or the quantity of sales; (2) the compensation plan must provide
performance‐based incentives for the employee to increase his or
her income; and (3) there must be proportionality between the
value of the goods or services sold and the rate paid to the
employee.
Johnson, 4 F. Supp. 3d at 442 (citation omitted). The hallmark of a
commission‐based system is the decoupling of payment from actual time
worked. Yi v. Sterling Collision Ctrs., 480 F.3d 505, 509 (7th Cir. 2007);
Owopetu v. Nationwide CATV Auditing Servs., Inc., 10‐cv‐18, 2011 WL 883703
6
at *4 (D. Vt. March 11, 2011) (Owopetu I). Whether a given payment
constitutes a “commission” is a question of law. Klinedinst v. Swift Invs., Inc.,
260 F.3d 1251, 1254 (11th Cir. 2001). It is a functional test and turns not on
what the payment is called but rather on how that payment system works
in practice. See Alvarado v. Corp. Cleaning Servs., Inc., 782 F.3d 365, 367 (7th
Cir. 2015) (citing Yi, 480 F.3d at 508).
Although plaintiffs contend that the record supports none of the
abovementioned factors, there is record evidence that the technicians’
compensation is tied to customer demand. (See, e.g., Decl. of Nelson
Izquierdo ¶ 4 dated April 27, 2015, Dkt. No. 110; Polonio Dep. at 57:7‐14; Ex.
7 to Ureña Reply Affirmation.) Defendants also point to evidence that
compensation was proportional to the value of services sold, which is the
third factor. (See, e.g., Izquierdo Dep. at 90:5‐91:6.)
The crux of this case, then, is whether defendants can show that their
compensation plan provided “performance‐based incentives” for the
technicians to increase their income. Johnson, 4 F. Supp. 3d at 442.
Defendants contend this factor is satisfied because their system of paying
technicians for each completed task incentivizes the technicians to work
faster. Thus, the theory goes, a technician who receives five tasks at the start
of her day is incentivized to complete those tasks as quickly as possible in
order to be available to be assigned additional tasks and thereby earn more
money. See id. Izquierdo articulated this theory explicitly when he testified
that technicians “were paid on a piece rate basis in order to incentivize them
to work more efficiently.” (Defs.’ Opp’n at 9; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 91; Izquierdo Decl.
¶ 5.) Unfortunately for defendants, however, there is no evidence
whatsoever in the record that that is how the system actually worked.
Johnson, 4 F. Supp. 3d at 442‐43.
Instead, undisputed facts show that no technician received additional
payment as a reward for completing her work more efficiently. Work
assignments were not assigned based on a technician’s speed or efficiency.
Cablevision assigned work in advance based on the specific hours that a
technician was available each day. (Izquierdo Dep. at 34:2‐10; Polonio Dep.
at 54:22‐55:2; Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 29‐31; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 29‐31.) The more hours that a
technician agreed in advance to work, the more tasks she would be
assigned.
7
Even when Associates had extra work to dole out, that extra work was
not given as a reward for speed or efficiency. (See, e.g., Polonio Dep. at 56:18‐
57:3; Izquierdo Dep. at 58:4‐59:7, 174:3‐16.) There were times, for instance,
when Cablevision had more service orders than available technicians could
handle. (Izquierdo Dep. at 58:4‐59:7, 174:3‐10; Polonio Dep. at 56:18‐57:3.)
To fulfill these orders, Izquierdo would either ask technicians to work extra
days or would hire extra technicians. (Izquierdo Dep. at 58:4‐59:7, 174:3‐10.)
Polonio did the same: He would ask available technicians to “start earlier”
or would ask technicians if “they want to work” on their off days. (Polonio
Dep. at 56:23‐57:3.) Once again, the more hours a technician agreed to work,
the more tasks he or she would be assigned and the more money that
technician made. Defendants’ system thus did not decouple hours worked
from wages earned. See Owopetu I, 2011 WL 883703 at *4.
Defendants’ failure to provide any evidence of the relevant
performance‐based incentives is stark when juxtaposed with evidence
presented in similar but distinguishable cases. In Moore v. Advanced Cable
Contractors, Inc., No. 12‐cv‐115, 2013 WL 3991966 (N.D. Ga. Aug. 1, 2013),
for instance, the technician‐plaintiffs’ “own deposition testimony state[d]
that there were ample opportunities for technicians to get additional work
if they completed their scheduled appointments ahead of time.” Id. at *5.
Technicians were even “paid extra if they sold customers upgraded service
packages or hardware not on their scheduled work‐orders.” Id. The same
was true in Johnson v. Wave Comm GR LLC, 4 F. Supp. 3d 423 (N.D.N.Y. 2014),
where the technicians could “contact Wave Comm and request additional
work orders” when they finished their normal work assignments, thereby
earning more money. Id. at 443. Here, there is no analogous evidence that
plaintiffs “had the opportunity to earn additional income by working faster
and completing more tasks,” id. at 443, or that technicians had the
“opportunity to pick up additional jobs during the day.” Jones, 2013 WL
6072966 at *10. See also Matrai v. DirecTV, LLC, 14‐cv‐2022, 2016 WL 845257
at *14 (D. Kan. March 4, 2016).
It is true that some cases “have found commissions to exist based upon
an employee’s incentive merely to work faster.” Owopetu I, 2011 WL 883703
at *4 (citing Klinedinst, 260 F.3d at 1256). However, to the extent that those
cases stand for the proposition that an employer can satisfy section 207(i)’s
commission requirement when a compensation scheme incentivizes
8
employees to work faster alone without any actual increased pay as a result,
the Court finds those cases unpersuasive. See Ramos, 687 F.3d at 558 (FLSA
exemptions must be construed narrowly). It is not enough that the payment
scheme enables efficient employees to leave work earlier than less efficient
employees. A true commission system must instead “provide performance‐
based incentives for the employee to increase his or her income.” Johnson, 4 F.
Supp. 3d at 442 (emphasis added). There is no evidence whatsoever in this
record to support such a conclusion. Accordingly, the Court concludes that
defendants are not exempt as retail and service establishments from having
to pay overtime.
C. Minimum Wage & Gap Time
Plaintiffs also claim that they are entitled to summary judgment on the
grounds that defendants failed to pay minimum wage for the morning time
the technicians spent in the warehouse as well as the evening time spent
there. The morning time was spent checking in, receiving work orders, and
gathering necessary equipment before driving to a customer’s residence; the
evening time was spent returning equipment and filling out paperwork
after the technician completed her last work order. This Court must
therefore address whether the morning wait time and evening return time
are compensable at all. See 29 U.S.C. § 254(a)(2).
The U.S. Supreme Court recently addressed that very issue in Integrity
Staffing Solutions v. Busk, 135 S. Ct. 513 (2014). In Busk, the plaintiffs worked
in one of Amazon’s shipping warehouses “retriev[ing] products from
warehouse shelves and packag[ing] those products for shipment to Amazon
customers. Id. at 518. They were forced at the end of each workday to spend
significant time undergoing “antitheft security screening” before they could
leave work. Id. at 515. They sought compensation for the time spent in that
screening.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected their claim, however, holding that
time is compensable under the FLSA only if the activity at issue “is integral
and indispensable to the principal activities that an employee is employed
to perform”; that is, “one with which the employee cannot dispense if he is
to perform his principal activities.” Id. at 517. Employees are not entitled to
compensation for any “activities which are preliminary to or postliminary
to” an employee’s “principal activities.” 29 U.S.C. § 254(a). Because the
9
security screenings were neither a “principal activity” nor “integral and
indispensable” to retrieving and packaging products, the screenings had no
impact on whether or how adeptly the warehouse employees could do their
job of retrieving and packaging products. Id. at 518.
Here, plaintiffs argue that two different time periods are compensable:
the morning wait time and the evening return time. Defendants concede
that the morning time is compensable, and the Court agrees. It is
undisputed that the technicians would not be able to service Cablevision
customers without picking up necessary equipment and obtaining work
orders each morning.
The time that plaintiffs spend in the evening returning equipment and
completing paperwork is different. Plaintiffs are employed to install,
maintain, and upgrade cable systems for Cablevision customers, (Pls.’ 56.1
¶ 2; Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 2), not to return equipment to a warehouse or to fill out
paperwork. The tasks completed during the evening return time are thus
not principal activities. Busk, 135 S. Ct. at 517. Similarly, those tasks are not
“integral and indispensable” to any principal activity. Simply put,
dispensing with the evening return time would not hamper the technicians’
ability to efficiently and effectively service Cablevision’s customers. Any
arguments to the contrary were rejected in Busk. It is irrelevant that
Associates and Telecom required the evening return time; that they could
have shortened the duration of that time; and that the time primarily
benefited the employer. Id. at 519. The evening return time is postliminary,
not “integral and indispensable,” and thus not compensable.
Still, this court’s determination—and the parties’ agreement—that the
technicians’ morning wait time is compensable does not necessarily entitle
plaintiffs to any additional FLSA damages, because the FLSA mandates
only that an employee is paid an average minimum wage. See Lundy, 711
F.3d at 116. Consequently, plaintiffs will only be entitled to damages
pursuant to the FLSA if their pay divided by the number of hours worked—
including morning wait time—is less than the minimum hourly wage. That
determination must await the trial of this action.
New Jersey and New York labor laws, however, ultimately may be
more helpful to plaintiffs in this regard than the FLSA. Unlike the FLSA,
those state laws allow “gap time claims” in which an employee seeks to be
10
paid her regular hourly rate for previously uncompensated time. See Lundy,
711 F.3d at 118; Gregory v. Stewart’s Shops Corp., 14‐cv‐33, 2015 WL 893058 *4
(N.D.N.Y. March 2, 2015); Merlo v. Fed. Express Corp., 2010 WL 2326577 at *8
(D.N.J. May 7 2010) (citing N.J. Admin Code § 12‐56‐5.1). Gap time claims
can be brought pursuant to state law even if an employee’s average hourly
pay is greater than the minimum wage.
As with the FLSA minimum wage claims, the amount of damages to
which plaintiffs are entitled, if any, awaits trial. There is evidence in this
record that plaintiffs are entitled to nothing on their gap time claims because
plaintiffs may have received all the compensation for which they bargained.
(See Izquierdo Dep. at 127:13‐129:2.) Plaintiffs provide substantial evidence
to the contrary. (See e.g., Dep. of Cesar Almanzar dated Nov. 18, 2014 at 76:6‐
16, Ex. 18 to Ureña Affirmation Dkt. No. 115.) These issues of material fact
prevent the Court from granting judgment to plaintiffs on their state gap
time claims.
D. New York Labor Law Violations
Plaintiffs also seek summary judgment that Associates and its managers
are liable for three violations of the New York Labor Law. The first claimed
violation, supported by testimonial evidence, is that Associates unlawfully
deducted the value of lost or damaged equipment from the technicians’
wages. (See Affirmation of Juan Ogando ¶¶ 1‐2, Dkt. No. 128; See also Dep.
Of Juan de la Cruz dated Nov. 18, 2014 at 41:11‐15, Ex. 16 to Ureña
Affirmation Dkt. No. 115.) The New York Labor Law does not permit any
such deductions. See NYLL § 193(1)(a)‐(b); Karic v. Major Automotive
Companies, Inc., 992 F. Supp. 2d 196, 202 (E.D.N.Y. 2014). Defendants are
liable for any deductions from technicians’ wages for lost or damaged
equipment.
As to the final two violations, defendants fail to argue they in fact
complied with the relevant provisions of New York Labor Law. First,
defendants do not dispute that they violated New York Labor Law
§ 193(1)(d) by failing to institute a written grievance policy for employees to
dispute funds deducted as payroll loan repayments. (See Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 66‐67;
Defs.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 66‐67.) Second, defendants do not dispute that they violated
New York Labor Law § 195(1) by failing to provide required wage notices
at the time the technicians were hired. See Perez v. Platinum Plaza 400
11
Cleaners, Inc., 12‐cv‐9353, 2015 WL 1881080 at *4 (S.D.N.Y. April 24, 2015).
The technicians are thus entitled to summary judgment that defendants are
liable for violations of these three New York Labor Law claims.3
E.
Defendants’ Mens Rea
Finally, plaintiffs seek summary judgment on the issue of defendants’
mens rea. If an employer “willfully” violated the FLSA, that employer is
liable for three—not two—years of violations. Hart v. Rick’s Cabaret Int’l, Inc.,
967 F. Supp. 2d 901, 936 (S.D.N.Y. 2013); 29 U.S.C. § 255(a). “An employer
willfully violates the FLSA when it either knew or showed reckless
disregard for the matter of whether its conduct was prohibited by the act.”
Keubel v. Black & Decker Inc., 643 F.3d 352, 366 (2d Cir. 2011) (internal
quotation marks omitted). Moreover, the FLSA and New York Labor Law
both provide that an employer must pay its employee liquidated damages
for violations unless the employer acted in “good faith.” 29 U.S.C. § 260;
NYLL § 198(1‐a).4 This is no minor concern: a majority of courts in this
Circuit have concluded that an employee may recover liquidated damages
pursuant to both the FLSA and NYLL. See, e.g., Ho v. Sim Enters. Inc., 11‐cv‐
2855, 2014 WL 1998237 at *18 (S.D.N.Y. March 26, 2015). Any finding that an
employer “willfully” violated the FLSA or acted without “good faith” has
the potential to deal an expensive blow to the employer.
Defendants contend in a footnote that plaintiffs’ New York Labor Law claims cannot
be raised by any of the opt‐in plaintiffs because this case is only brought as a collective
action pursuant to the FLSA and not as a class action pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23.
Defendants are mistaken. Individuals who have opted‐in to an FLSA collective action
have “party status” and are able to advance their own claims. 7B Charles Alan Wright,
Arthur R. Miller, Fed. Prac. & Proc. § 1807 (3d ed. 2011); Byron v. Genovese Drug Stores,
Inc., 10‐cv‐3313, 2011 WL 4962499 at *2 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 14, 2011); see 29 U.S.C. § 216(b).
Thus, the opt‐in plaintiffs in this conditionally certified collective FLSA action are
entitled to assert the same New York Labor Law claims that the original plaintiffs have
asserted.
3
The liquidated damages standard is different for violations of New York Labor Law
that occurred prior to 2009. For violations prior to 2009, a 25 percent award of liquidated
damages is available if plaintiffs show that defendants acted “willfully.” Hart, 967 F.
Supp. 2d at 937‐38 (citing NYLL § 198(1‐a)).
4
12
Plaintiffs point to three facts that, they say, establish that defendants
acted willfully and without good faith. First, they note that defendants were
on notice of the wage violations from two prior suits technicians brought
against them and a New Jersey Department of Labor investigation that
resulted in Telecom paying New Jersey a fine. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶¶ 72‐75; Defs.’ 56.1
¶¶ 72‐75.) Second, they contend that defendants erased timeclock records
and improperly recorded the technicians’ hours. (Plfs.’ 56.1 ¶ 41; Defs.’ 56.1
¶ 41.) Third, they contend that defendants ignored their attorneys’
proposals to change the technicians’ compensation system to ensure its
legality.
Although a reasonable factfinder could infer bad faith or willfulness
from these facts, defendants have presented additional facts that support
more benign inferences. Regarding the lawsuits, each case settled early in
the litigation, and Associates never admitted liability. (Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 103.) As
in this case, Associates there asserted that the retail or service establishment
exemption applied. 29 U.S.C. § 207(i); (Defs.’ 56.1 ¶ 103.) Defendants’ claim
to the exemption is by no means frivolous, and other courts have found
similar—though distinguishable, see Part II‐B, supra—claims meritorious.
Cf. Hart, 967 F. Supp. at 938. Similarly, although Izquierdo did testify that
his timeclock erased records, he also testified that the timeclock’s erasures
resulted from his failure to properly read the instructions. (Pls.’ 56.1 ¶ 41.)
The timeclock erasures—as well as defendants’ failure to maintain accurate
records of the technicians’ hours—do not necessitate a finding of
“willfulness” or “bad faith.” These facts are also consistent with merely
finding defendants negligent. See Young v. Cooper Cameron Corp., 586 F.3d
201, 207 (2d Cir. 2009).
Plaintiffs’ last argument—that defendants willfully ignored their
attorneys’ advice to change the compensation scheme—is similarly
unavailing at this stage of the litigation. Evidence suggests that defendants
did, in fact, change their pay structure to ensure that it would qualify as a
“commission” under the retail or service establishment exemption.
(Izquierdo Dep. 93:9‐23.) That this change did not suffice, see Part II‐B, supra,
does not require a finding that defendants acted in bad faith or willfully
violated the FLSA.
13
In sum, defendants have presented a sufficient counter-narrative to
forestall summary judgment on the issues of willfulness and bad faith.
Ill. CONCLUSION
The Court grants in part and denies in part plaintiffs' motion for
summary judgment as follows: (1) summary judgment is granted to
plaintiffs on their claim that defendants are liable for any week they failed
to pay appropriate overtime because plaintiffs are not exempt as retail or
service establishments from having to pay overtime; (2) summary judgment
is denied as to plaintiffs' minimum wage claims (although all parties and
the Court agree that the morning wait time is compensable) and state law
gap time claims; (3) summary judgment is granted to plaintiffs on the
ground that defendants are liable for any violations that may be proven at
trial of NYLL § 193(1)(a)-(b) (lost or damaged equipment deductions),
§ 193(d) (written payroll loan repayment grievance policy), and § 195(1)
(wage notices at hiring); and (4) summary judgment is denied to plaintiffs
on the issue of defendants' mens rea.
Dated: New York, New York
March 31, 2016
SO ORDERED:
14
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