Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office Secures Settlement for Paid Sick Leave Violations by The Tennis Channel
September 8, 2020 9:58 AM
Following an administrative enforcement action against The Tennis Channel, Inc. (“Tennis Channel”), the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office has secured a settlement that includes fines and back-pay for affected employees. The Tennis Channel is a television-based multimedia company dedicated to the sport of tennis, including the coverage of professional tennis, with its headquarters located in Santa Monica.
The administrative investigation began when an employee of the Tennis Channel came forward to report that in 2018 she had not received the amount of paid sick leave required under the City’s Minimum Wage Law. That law, adopted by the City in 2016, requires employers with 25 or fewer employees to provide a minimum of 40 hours paid sick leave, and employers with 26 or more employees to provide 72 hours paid sick leave.
The employee contacted the Department of Consumer Business and Affairs (“DCBA”) who opened an investigation. DCBA’s investigation revealed that the Tennis Channel violated the City’s Paid Sick Leave law for 83 employees in 2018, which resulted in the DCBA issuing an administrative citation to The Tennis Channel for 87 separate violations.
The Tennis Channel opted to enter into settlement negotiations with the City Attorney’s Office and in the settlement agreement that has been reached has agreed to do the following:
- pay a fine of $500.00 per violation, resulting in a total fine to be paid to the City in the amount of $41,500.00;
- pay back-pay to 27 former employees in the combined amount of $26,379.47, which will be distributed among the 27 affected former employees; and
- provide additional paid leave benefits for 56 affected current employees, including the original complainant.
This case was handled by Deputy City Attorney Autumn Rindels for the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office. For more information regarding Santa Monica’s Minimum Wage Ordinance and its requirements under the Paid Sick Leave provision, or to file a complaint, please visit DCBA’s website at https://dcba.lacounty.gov/minimum-wage/ or call DCBA at (800) 593-8222.
Media Contact
Constance Farrell
Communications & Public Information Manager
Constance.Farrell@santamonica.gov