Summary:
On Friday, August 5, 2020, Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP filed a class action lawsuit against Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. (“Petco”) for unpaid wages. This lawsuit seeks to recover untimely wage compensation and other damages for similarly situated hourly guest experience specialists, sales associates, dog trainers, and other similar manual labor positions (collectively, “Manual Workers”) who work or have worked as manual workers for Petco in New York State. The pet supplies retailer operates approximately 64 locations in New York and employs over 1,000 Manual Workers throughout the state.
Petco has compensated their Manual Workers on a bi-weekly basis but despite considering them manual laborers, they have failed to properly pay them their wages within seven calendar days after the end of the week in which these wages were earned as required by the New York Labor Law (“NYLL”). Petco’s manual workers spent over twenty-five percent of their time completing physical tasks, including but not limited to: (1) stocking shelves; (2) sweeping and mopping floors; (3) bagging items for customers; (4) physically carrying items of various sizes for customers; and (5) standing for long periods of time. Despite regularly spending a large percentage of their shift performing these physical task Manual Workers at Petco are paid biweekly, meaning that they are untimely compensated for their first week of work. In this regard, Petco has failed to provide timely wages to all their similarly situated Manual Workers under the NYLL. Additionally, the complaint alleges Petco failed to provide its Manual Workers with accurate wage statements.
Eligible persons may include all those who work or have worked as Manual Workers for Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. and Petco Animal Supplies Stores, Inc. in New York between August 5, 2014 and the date of final judgment in this matter. If you’ve worked for Petco as a Manual Worker and would like to know if you’d be able to participate in this matter, feel free to call us at (212)300-0375. Also, if you are a manual worker in New York State and are being paid bi-weekly instead of weekly, you may be owed wages. Feel free to reach out to us for a free and confidential consultation or visit our website for additional information.
You can also view the filed complaint here.