In today’s progressive professional landscape, ensuring the protection of employees’ rights is paramount. Recent distributions of reparations in August 2023 concerning an April 2021 filed case against the Tiburon Peninsula Club (TPC) have shed light on California’s Labor Code violations.
During the class lawsuit issued by Scott Cole & Associates, “a professional corporation” (APC), the TPC faced five common factual allegations, including the TPC knowingly failing to issue nor timely compensate misconducted employees adequately for worked wages, meals and/or rest period violations and false paid out tips.
A former employee who graduated in the class of 2023 experienced these workplace injustices while working at the TPC from 2020 to 2022, including improper wage payments, resulting in her receiving a compensation check last month. For the sake of anonymity, the source will go by Maya.
“I got a check of two thousand dollars in the mail from the lawsuit [saying] it was because they were paying under minimum wage, or weren’t [issuing] breaks, so they sent me this money as compensation, and I [thought], ‘What is this?’” Maya said.
The TPC violated codes concerning the treatment of employees beyond underpayment, which Maya unknowingly was a victim of.
“I didn’t know this was happening, that a lawsuit was going on. When I worked there, I felt it was a good experience. I got breaks and meals sometimes, [and] I might have been paid under minimum wage, but I didn’t care because I was 15 or 16 years old,” Maya said.
Maya’s experience with these violations grew more profound as she reflected on working as a server at the cafe despite it not being allowed.
“[I also] worked in the cafe [when] I was 15, serving drinks. Technically, that’s illegal because you can’t serve drinks until 18. Maybe that was one issue. I didn’t care, though. I was still getting paid,” Maya said.
As time proceeds, it is expected that the TPC will follow these reinstated laws by ensuring that all matters discussed will be enforced, with further reparations if not.
These changes within the TPC are evident through Lucas Murgel, a senior hired in the summer of 2022 amidst the recovery stage and roughly around the same time Maya quit. Murgel shares how his ongoing experience at the TPC has been positive, and he is surprised that the events discussed in the case occurred.
“I would say [working at the TPC is] pretty easygoing. As long as you understand your role, the whole experience is smooth. I haven’t had any issues with that [discussed in the case],” Murgel said. “I think [the pay] is reasonable for my work. So I’ve never personally experienced any of [what was in the lawsuit]. This is the first time I’ve heard about that.”
Charlotte Monachello, a junior working at the TPC for roughly a month, entered her job at a point where the waters had calmed down, never having heard nor faced any changes or troubles as a new hire.
“My job [mostly at the front desk] is simple and enjoyable. I have had no bad experiences so far,” Monachello said.
The TPC´s journey from workplace injustice to a more equitable and respectful environment is a testament to the power of collective action and the commitment of employees and management to honor labor rights.
