Lawsuit accuses Costco of 'false imprisonment' of workers

A class-action lawsuit was filed today against Costco Wholesale Corp. alleging that the discount chain mistreats its employees.

The suit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, seeks at least $50 million from the company for allegedly breaking California labor law by routinely keeping employees from going home each night for 15 minutes until managers remove jewelry from cases and check registers. The policy, the suit says, amounts to false imprisonment.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Mary Pytelewski, a clerk at the Costco warehouse in San Marcos in northern San Diego County. Employees are kept from leaving even though they are not being paid, the suit alleges.

"Costco is building its business and its competitive advantage at my expense and at the expense of all of its other hourly workers," Pytelewski said in a statement.

The suit also alleges that Costco retaliated against Pytelewski with a negative job evaluation when she complained. The company posted a supervisor as a guard at her cash register, said Steven L. Wittels of the firm Sanford Wittels & Heisler, which filed the lawsuit.

The suit asks for damages and for the court to order Costco to end the policy. A Costco spokesman did not return messages seeking comment.

--Tony Perry 

Comments

[CW]

Yeah, I can partly verify that this is correct.. I went through the same thing almost every night until I was asked by management to help count jewelry - so at least I started to get paid to stay. However there is a door that stays unlocked from the inside of the warehouse (I'm guessing most warehouses are similar) that can be opened from the inside to get out. The only problem is an alarm will go off or the employee leaving will probably get yelled at or written up for it. There is a Green Exit sign above the exit door.

[DM]

We too have to sometimes stay after because the managers/supervisors are pulling jewelry and tills. I don't recall how long it was, whether 5 minutes or 15 minutes. I don't know of any doors that are unlocked from the inside. Once the roll up doors go down, our managers have to let us out at the end of night. They first contact security in the lot to make sure it is safe for us to leave and then they open the door.