California’s Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2024 (PAGA) is a law that lets workers enforce the state’s labor rules even if government agencies don’t step in first. PAGA basically turns regular employees into “private attorneys general.” This means they can file legal claims on behalf of themselves, other affected workers against whom an employer violated the same laws, and the state government.
Under PAGA, employees can sue for all kinds of Labor Code violations—things like unpaid overtime, missed rest or meal breaks, non-compliant paystubs, and other workplace wrongs. In normal lawsuits, workers can generally only try to recover their own damages and penalties. But with PAGA, they can seek civil penalties tied to an employer’s violations of the Labor Code that took place against all employees. Part of the recovered money goes back to California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), with the rest split among the involved employees to incentivize employees to bring PAGA actions.
One reason PAGA is popular is because it gets around the usual class action process in other types of representative actions. PAGA lawsuits don’t have to be officially “certified” as class actions, which can make them less difficult for employees to bring. PAGA gives workers real power to fight unfair treatment.
(See Link(s): Labor Code section 2699)