In Brown v. Walmart, California cashiers alleged the retailer violated the state’s suitable-seating rule by requiring them to stand through their shifts, and the case ended with Walmart agreeing to a $65 million settlement and an approved seating program for its California stores.1Justia. Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Order Granting Motion for Final Approval
What the Cashiers Alleged
Nisha Brown and other front-end employees, mostly cashiers, said their duties at the register could be performed seated without hurting productivity. They spent long hours scanning items, taking payments, and bagging merchandise on hard floors, and they argued the constant standing caused unnecessary fatigue. The complaint said Walmart’s policy required cashiers to stand regardless of the specific task, even during slow periods or stationary work where a stool or chair would have worked.
The California Seating Rule Behind the Case
The claim rested on Wage Order No. 7-2001, which covers the mercantile industry and requires that employees be provided with suitable seats when the nature of the work reasonably permits their use.2California Department of Industrial Relations. Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 11070 – Section: 14. Seats.3Justia. Kilby v. CVS Pharmacy, Inc.
How the Case Was Brought
The plaintiffs combined a class action with a claim under the Private Attorneys General Act, which lets individual employees stand in for the state labor agency to recover civil penalties for labor code violations.4California Department of Industrial Relations. Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) – FAQ PAGA is a law-enforcement tool aimed at systemic failures, which fit a challenge to a company-wide seating policy. Together, the two mechanisms produced a resolution covering more than 100,000 workers.1Justia. Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Order Granting Motion for Final Approval
What the Settlement Required
Walmart agreed to pay $65 million, one of the largest settlements tied to workplace seating rules.1Justia. Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Order Granting Motion for Final Approval Under PAGA’s statutory split, seventy-five percent of recovered civil penalties went to the state labor agency, with the remaining twenty-five percent distributed to the affected employees.4California Department of Industrial Relations. Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) – FAQ
The deal also required Walmart to put an approved seating program in place at its California stores, giving eligible employees chairs or stools where the nature of the work permits.1Justia. Brown v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. – Order Granting Motion for Final Approval The program applies to California locations; the settlement did not impose the same operational change nationwide.