In Los Angeles Superior Court, McDonald's claimed victory when 6,600 workers seeking $41 million in back pay and penalties came away with less than 2% of the amount sought in a claim that the fast-food giant cheated them out of overtime at almost 120 company restaurants. While the workers are sure to appeal the judge's calculation method, the ruling provides franchisors and franchisees a roadmap for minimizing penalties under California's Private Attorney General Act ("PAGA"). The Act deputizes workers as private attorneys general to pursue state labor code violations.

Earlier, McDonald's Restaurants of California, Inc. ("McDonald's") was found liable for shorting overnight workers on overtime pay. McDonald's timekeeping policy assigned all hours in a shift to the day the shift started. Overnight workers whose shift started on Day 1 and who then started another shift sometime on Day 2 often worked over eight hours in a 24-hour period but did not get overtime pay.

Several factors contributed to McDonald's success at the damage phase of trial. The judge was persuaded by McDonald's expert, while finding the workers' expert unreliable for excluding certain time records from his analysis. McDonald's also persuaded the court its violation was not willful; McDonald's believed its policy was a fair and legal way to compute overtime and there had been no complaints prior to the suit. McDonald's successfully avoided draconian fines and PAGA penalties, but it did not escape all liability. The workers were awarded $775,000.

Franchisor and franchisee operators of 24/7 locations in California, of any brand, should use care to comply with wage and hour laws, especially given the uptick in California of PAGA claims against employers. McDonald's has shown that experienced franchise and employment counsel can help treat workers fairly and limit exposure both in and out of the courtroom.

Sanchez et al. v. McDonald's Restaurants of California Inc. et al., BC499888 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed Jan. 24, 2013)