In a recent article published in QSR Magazine on August 16, 2024, Of Counsel Kris Vartanian discussed California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) and how it applies to the restaurant industry. In this article, he addresses the PAGA-related parameters for business owners as well as beneficial factors for employers.

Vartanian wrote, “For instance, if a host staff member claimed they only suffered meal break violations, they could still bring a PAGA lawsuit on behalf of others, not only for alleged meal break violations but also for other alleged Labor Code violations.”

Vartanian examined the PAGA processes and limitations through possible examples in the restaurant industry.

“For example, a Los Angeles server claiming they were not paid overtime because they worked off the clock without telling anyone is a different situation than a different Los Angeles server who worked off the clock but informed their supervisor, who made sure overtime was paid,” he wrote. “Likewise, a Los Angeles cook claiming they couldn’t take meal breaks because they were too busy does not translate to a Los Angeles host staff member who was never too busy to take their meal breaks.”

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