Disney Faces Proposed Class-Action California Labor Lawsuit

Oakland, CA It’s a tough go when the house of Mickey Mouse winds up facing a lawsuit. But that’s the gist of a putative class-action lawsuit launched by a former employee of Disneyland in California, citing various violations to California labor code.

The California labor lawsuit has been brought by Reykeel Zorio, a former nonexempt employee of Disney. According to court documents, the California resident was hired by Walt Disney Worldwide Services Inc. in 2011 and commenced his employment at Disneyland Resort. His employment status was transferred from Walt Disney Worldwide Services Inc. to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc., according to the complaint.

The plaintiff claims that Walt Disney Worldwide Services Inc., which undertakes the finance data processing system - and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc., the entity that manages Disney parks - did not properly pay him the accrued vacation time he claims was his due when he left Disney’s employ. Zorio claims this oversight is a violation of California labor code.

He doesn’t stop there. Zorio also claims that Disney, or at least those entities of Disney named in the putative class action, failed to immediately provide to employees who had been fired or terminated wages that were their due, as well as vacation time and other forms of compensation as stipulated under California labor employment law.

California and labor law holds, according to the complaint, that employees who resign are paid the aforementioned compensation within 72 hours of submitting their resignation. The California labor lawsuit claims that this was not done.

“Moreover, the final wages that defendants eventually paid to each plaintiff did not include all of the wages, vacation time and other compensation that were in fact due and owing to plaintiff,” the complaint said.

No fewer than six iconic Disney properties, all based in California, are named in the lawsuit: Disneyland Hotel, Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Downtown Disney District, Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure Park. To that end, the proposed class-action lawsuit would include any and all former nonexempt employees of the two Disney companies named as defendants, who might have worked at any of the six named properties over the preceding four years. Class members are expected to exceed over 500 in number, and would be entitled to wages for each day they were not paid at their regular rate for up to 30 days from the time they were due, according to California state labor laws.

The three causes of action include damages for unpaid vacation pay, restitution of wages and disgorgement of profits due to fraudulent, unfair and illegal business practices, according to the complaint.

The California labor lawsuit was filed June 19. There was no comment from Mickey, Pluto or Goofy, who were not named as defendants. The case is Zorio v. Walt Disney Worldwide Services Inc. et al., Case No. BC549292, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.