On March 23, 2023, a former Apple, Inc (“Apple”) employee initiated a lawsuit alleging that the company failed to include all legally required compensation when calculating its hourly employees’ overtime rate of pay.
According to the Third Amended Complaint, Apple paid Plaintiff and others similarly situated on an hourly basis and provided them with other compensation in the form of restricted stock units (RSUs). The problem, the employees allege, is that Apple failed to include the value of vested RSUs when calculating the employees’ overtime rate paid for overtime hours they worked. The employees assert that this omission gave Apple the benefit of paying its hourly employees at a lower overtime rate of pay than the law requires.
The lawsuit is a collective action under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and a putative class action under California and New York state laws. The action seeks to recover unpaid overtime compensation and liquidated (double) damages for the workers impacted by Apple’s alleged miscalculation of the overtime rate of pay.
The Court authorized that notice be sent to over 47,000 eligible employees. The deadline to join is May 7, 2024. To join, click the button below.
Plaintiffs are represented by Michele R. Fisher and Kayla M. Kienzle from Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Daniel S. Brome from Nichols Kaster, LLP in San Francisco, California, and Loren B. Donnell from Shavitz Law Group in Boca Raton, Florida.
This case is entitled Costa et al. v. Apple, Inc., Case No.: 3:23-cv-01353 (N.D. Cal.)
Case Updates
November 21st, 2024
We are still in the phase called discovery, where the parties exchange information and documents relevant to the case. We recently brought a motion asking the Court to certify classes for California and New York employees, which if granted, would allow workers from those states to be automatically included in the case even if they did not previously join. We do not know the result of that motion yet and have a court hearing regarding it on December 18, 2024.
July 22nd, 2024
Over 8,000 workers joined to make a claim for underpaid overtime due to Apple’s failure to include the value of vested restricted stock units (and their dividends) in the overtime pay rate.
The case is in the phase called discovery. This is where the parties exchange information and documents. Over the last two weeks we have taken depositions of Apple’s corporate representatives. The Court ordered that a sampling of people who joined must answer questions and provide some documents (if they saved any) related to the claims. Within the next 5 to 6 months we are attending mediation with Apple to see if settlement can be reached.
April 9th, 2024
The Court has ordered Apple to conduct a more thorough search for contact information for 11,784 members of the FLSA collective, and the deadline to join this case has been extended to May 7th.
January 16, 2024
Notice was sent out by Atticus Administration on January 4th by email, text, and mail, to a list of employees provided by Apple. Anyone wishing to join must submit a consent form by May 7th, 2024, through the administrators at AppleOvertimeLawsuit.com or by directly filling out a consent form.
November 28, 2023
Last week, the Court ordered Apple to provide contact information for tens of thousands of employees so we can send a court-ordered notice giving them the opportunity to join the case. If you were an hourly employee who received restricted stock units that vested at any time over the past three years, and you worked overtime hours during the period (hours over 40 in a workweek) you may be eligible to join.
We are now engaged in a process called discovery. This is where the parties explore each other’s position about whether the overtime rate of pay should have included the value of vested restricted stock units.
Attorneys
Staff
Our FAQ
Have questions? We are here to help. Still have questions or can't find the answer you need? Give us a call at 877-344-4628 today!
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How Do I Join This Case?
To make a claim in this case, you must complete a consent form by May 7, 2024.
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Am I Eligible?
You should have received the official judicial notice of this case if:
• You are a current or former employees of Apple, Inc. classified as non-exempt/overtime eligible
• You received restricted stock units (“RSUs”) at any time from March 23, 2020 to the present
• You recorded more than forty hours of work in a workweek after receiving an RSU but before the RSU vested
If you believe you are in this group and did not receive notice, please contact us at thoyer@nka.com or (612) 256-3275.
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Is This a Class Action? What Does that Mean?
This case is a collective action under federal law and a potential class action under California and New York state laws. Collective and class actions allow one or more people to sue on behalf of themselves and other people who have similar claims. In November, the Court granted our motion to allow this case to proceed as a collective action. As this case moves forward, we intend to file a similar motion asking the Court to grant class action certification for the state law claims.
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Which Locations Are Included?
This case seeks to include all hourly employees who work or have worked for Apple anywhere in the country who received restricted stock units that vested within the past three years.
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What Time Frame Does This Case Cover?
There is a federal time limit, called a statute of limitations, that allows workers to recover unpaid wages up to three years prior to their opting into the case. Plaintiffs have also alleged claims under California and New York state laws, for which the statutes of limitations are four years and six years, respectively.
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Do I Have to Pay Anything?
You do not have to pay anything if you make a claim in this case. We are handling the case on a contingency basis. This means we will only be paid if the lawsuit is successful in obtaining relief either through a settlement, award, or a final judgment, and that payment will only come out of that settlement, award, or final judgment.
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How Do I Prove the Hours I Worked and How I Was Paid?
We will seek records from Apple of your hours worked and overtime paid. Companies have a legal obligation to keep that information.
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What About Retaliation?
It is against the law for an employer to retaliate against a person for joining a lawsuit to reclaim unpaid wages.
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How Long Will This Case Take?
The length of this kind of lawsuit varies from case to case, but they typically last one to three years.
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Is There Money Available Now?
No. This is a pending lawsuit. There is no money currently available and there is no guarantee that you will receive money for joining the lawsuit.
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How Can I Help?
If you know anyone interested in making a claim for miscalculated overtime pay, they should contact the case clerk, Theo Hoyer at (612) 256-3275 or thoyer@nka.com immediately. You can also direct them to sign up electronically. There is strength in numbers.
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How Do I Learn More?
To learn more about this case, feel free to contact the case clerk, Theo Hoyer at (612) 256-3275 or thoyer@nka.com immediately.
A member of our team will be in touch shortly to confirm your contact details or address questions you may have.