Labor & Employment Law Blog

As we previously reported here, on May 20, 2010, by a unanimous decision in Martinez v. Corky N. Combs, the California Supreme Court clarified the standard courts must use to determine who is liable as an "employer" for violations of wage and hour laws embodied in Industrial Welfare Commission ("IWC") Wage Orders, including claims for unpaid or underpaid wages.  In that case, the plaintiffs sought to hold customers of the employer liable for their claims for allegedly unpaid wages. The trial court, the Court of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court all rejected the plaintiffs' arguments.