Dilts v. Penske Logistics, LLC

188 F. Supp. 3d 1016, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70286, 2016 WL 2931670
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedMay 17, 2016
DocketCase No.: 3:08-CV-0318-CAB (BLM)
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 188 F. Supp. 3d 1016 (Dilts v. Penske Logistics, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dilts v. Penske Logistics, LLC, 188 F. Supp. 3d 1016, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70286, 2016 WL 2931670 (S.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

Hon. Cathy Ann Bencivengo, United States District Judge

Before the Court is Plaintiffs’ Motion for Partial Summary Judgment of their class claim for failure to provide meal breaks. [Doc. No. 335.] Plaintiffs contend that Penske did not have a meal break policy compliant with California law thereby entitling the class to a finding of liability as a matter of law. The motion has been fully briefed and the Court finds it suitable for determination on the papers submitted and without oral argument in accordance with Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1). Having considered the submissions of the parties and the arguments therein, the motion is DENIED.

I. Introduction

The plaintiff class is composed of Defendant’s hourly employees who delivered and installed Whirlpool appliances in California. An employee team, consisting of a driver with a commercial driver’s license and installers, would pick up the appliances from the Penske facility and deliver and install them at off-site locations. Work shifts were of sufficient length to require at least a first meal break and could be of sufficient length to require a second meal break.

[1018]*1018The employees worked in the field without direct supervision. Although they could report breaks to dispatch, they were not required to do so. Drivers were directed to record meal breaks on the daily dispatch log, but this was hot uniformly done. Installers had no means of recording them meal break time. Penske deducted 30 minutes from each employee’s shift in the expectation the employee exercised his right to take a 30-minute duty-free, uninterrupted meal break during his shift. Penske did not set specific meal break times in the daily delivery schedules, but left it to the employees’ discretion.

Plaintiffs assert that (1) the absence of a policy of providing class members meal breaks “before the end of the fifth hour of their shift” and (2) a policy “for second meals to be taken after the end of ten hours, not before the end of the tenth hour,” did not comply with California law, making Penske liable for untimely meal periods as a matter of law. [Doc. No. 335-1 at 6, ll.]1 Plaintiffs therefore, move for summary adjudication of liability on their class claim of meal break violations.

II. Summary Adjudication Standard

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(a), a party may move for summary judgment, identifying each claim or defense—or the part of each claim or defense—on which summary judgment is sought. The standards and procedures for granting summary adjudication are the same as those for summary judgment. “The court shall grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). The moving party has the burden of establishing the absence of a genuine dispute of material fact. The court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the non-movant and draw all reasonable inferences in the non-movant’s favor. Matsushita Elec. Inds. Co. Ltd., v. Zenith Radio Corp., 475 U.S. 574, 587, 106 S.Ct. 1348, 89 L.Ed.2d 538 (1986).

III. The California Meal Break Law

California Labor Code § 512(a) requires a 30-minute meal break for employees who work a period longer than five hours. A second 30-minute meal break is mandated if the employees work for a period longer than ten hours. The California Supreme Court has interpreted these provisions as “requiring a first meal period no later than the start of an employee’s sixth hour of work” and “a second meal period after no more than 10 hours of work in a day, i.e., no later than what would be the start of the 11th hour of work.” Brinker Rest. Corp. v. Superior Court, 53 Cal.4th 1004, 1041-42, 139 Cal.Rptr.3d 315, 273 P.3d 513 (2012).

Similarly section 11 of California Industrial Welfare Commission Order No, 9-2001 (Wage Order .No. 9), which regulates wages, hours and working conditions in the transportation industry, states:

(A) No employer shall employ a person for a work period of more than five (5) hours without a meal period of not less than 30 minutes, except that when a work period of not more than six (6) hours will complete the day’s work the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and the employee.
(B) An employer may not employ an ■ employee i for a work period of more than ten (10) hours per day without providing the employee with a second meal period of not less than 30 minutes, except that if the total hours worked is no more than 12 [1019]*1019hours, the second meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and the. employee only if the first meal period was not waived.

“If an employer engages, suffers, or permits anyone to work for a full five hours, its meal break obligation is triggered.” Brinker, 53 Cal.4th at 1039, 139 Cal.Rptr.3d 315, 273 P.3d 513. That obligation to provide a meal period is satisfied if at the end five hours (or ten hours) the employer “relieves its employees of all duty, relinquishes control over their activities and permits them a reasonable opportunity to take an uninterrupted 30-minute break and does not impede or discourage them from doing so.” Id at 1040, 139 Cal.Rptr.3d 315, 273 P.3d 513. “Bona fide relief from duty and the relinquishing of control satisfies the employer’s obligations, and work by a relieved employee during a meal break does not thereby place the employer in violation of its obligations and create liability for premium pay.” Id., at 1040-41, 139 Cal.Rptr.3d 315, 273 P.3d 513.

IY. Discussion

Plaintiffs argue that Penske violated the meal break provisions by not maintaining a policy that advised class members of their right to take meal periods “before the .end of five hours” or “before the end of the tenth hour.” [Doc. No. 335-1, at 11.] However, as discussed below, Plaintiffs, have not demonstrated that Penske had or uniformly enforced a policy contrary to California law, such that they are entitled to a summary adjudication of liability.

First, the meal break policy advocated by Plaintiffs is not required by law. The required meal period must commence not later than the start of the employee’s sixth or eleventh hour, not beforé the end of five, or ten, hours, as stated by Plaintiffs. The obligation to provide a meal break is not “triggered” until the full five hours has been worked. Brinker, 53 Cal.4th at 1039, 139 Cal.Rptr.3d 315, 273 P.3d 513.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
188 F. Supp. 3d 1016, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70286, 2016 WL 2931670, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dilts-v-penske-logistics-llc-casd-2016.