A proposed class action filed Nov. 25 in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses Warner Bros. Studio Operations and several affiliated companies of forcing California workers to labor through meal breaks, work unpaid overtime, and remain on call without compensation — a sweeping wage-and-hour complaint that paints the entertainment giant as repeatedly sidestepping state labor protections.
In her 24-page filing, plaintiff Jennifer Leiva Padilla alleges the studio violated numerous provisions of the California Labor Code by failing to pay nonexempt workers minimum wage, overtime, and legally required duty-free meal and rest periods.
Defendants include Warner Bros. Studio Operations, Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Media, and Warner Bros. Studio Facilities.
Claims of Unpaid On-Call Time and Mandatory Check-Ins
According to the complaint, Warner Bros. required Padilla and other nonexempt workers to call in to confirm whether they were needed the same day or the following day — a practice she says resulted in uncompensated on-call or standby time.
“Defendants failed to pay for on-call or standby time,” the complaint states, alleging Padilla often had to report to work after calling in, only to receive no compensation for the time she spent on alert.
The suit claims the company maintained a “regular practice” of denying pay for all hours worked, including overtime for shifts exceeding eight hours a day or 40 hours a week.
