Residential installers of communication devices may not receive full compensation for work performed and had to incur a fee to cash their paychecks.

This class action lawsuit contains two separate allegations against defendants 180 Connect, Inc., Mountain Satellite, Inc, Ironwood Communications, and Mountain Center Inc. These companies purport to employee over 2000 individuals who install various telecommunication devices in residences throughout the country.

First, the class action complaint alleges that 180 Connect, Inc., Mountain Satellite, Inc, Ironwood Communications, and Mountain Center Inc. issued paychecks to their California employees without providing the name and address of an in state bank or some other location where their employees could cash their paychecks for face value at no cost. The California Labor Code provides that an employee must be able to cash his or her paycheck without paying a fee . If the employee does not have direct deposit and the employee's paycheck does not have printed on the check the address of a bank or other location in California where the employee can cash his or her paycheck without paying a fee, the employee may be entitled to recover a penalty and all amounts paid to cash their paychecks over the past four years. This lawsuit seeks to recover the check cashing fees and penalties on behalf of employees of 180 Connect, Inc., Mountain Satellite, Inc., Ironwood Communications, and Mountain Center Inc.

Second, the class action complaint alleges that 180 Connect, Inc., Mountain Satellite, Inc, Ironwood Communications, and Mountain Center Inc. failed to pay their employees for work done "off-the-clock" in violation of California law. Under California law, employees are entitled to compensation for all time worked even if it is off-the-clock. The 180 Connect Complaint alleges, among other things, that 180 Connect, Mountain Satellite, Ironwood Communications, and Mountain Center employees were expected to perform off-the-clock work, including time spent loading and stocking their trucks and filling out required paper work, without compensation from their employers.

The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for the off-the-clock work, as well as compensation for missed meal periods and rest breaks, and waiting time penalties.