Morgan Lewis Scolded for Possible Conflict in Hotel Wage Case

Workers at a Sheraton hotel in San Francisco won class action status for their claim that the employer created a culture that encouraged staff to work through breaks without pay.

The class includes approximately 350 employees, according to the order by Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The company’s focus on customer service pushed staff to work off the clock to keep up with job demands, Dina Rae Richardson, who cleaned hotel rooms as a room attendant, said.

The judge’s order criticizes the way the hotel company’s lawyers obtained statements from three ...