Delivery drivers for Amazon claim employee rights violations

Amazon and a third-party package delivery company is facing a federal lawsuit that was filed in Northern California on a recent Friday. A former driver of one of the Amazon trucks filed the suit, claiming employee rights violations, and she seeks class-action status. She alleges that drivers for both defendants frequently work more than 10 hours per day without rest or meal breaks.

The former employee claims she and other workers drive trucks that belong to Amazon, with Amazon logos, and they have to wear ball caps and polo shirts sporting the same logo. Furthermore, they have to report to Amazon warehouses at the start and end of each shift. She further claims that the only way for the drivers to finish their heavy workloads on time was to work extra hours without taking any breaks.

Further allegations include the fact that remuneration was based on day rates with no compensation for overtime. This is not the first fight of freelance workers in the gig economy of California. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court ruled against employers in the ride-sharing industry, saying those drivers should be classified as employees and rewarded accordingly.

Anyone in California who is a member of the gig industry whose employee rights are being violated might have grounds to pursue legal action. However, taking on a large company in court might be overwhelmingly daunting. For this reason, workers seeking unpaid overtime typically seek the support and guidance of an experienced employment law attorney to advocate for them. The lawyer can assess the circumstances and determine the viability of a claim before proceeding with a lawsuit in pursuit of recovery of financial losses.