What Is a Class Action or Collective Action?

Class actions are a type of lawsuit in which one or several people sue on behalf of a group of people, usually referred to as “the class.” These lawsuits generally include an issue that is common to all members of the class, such as gender discrimination. When these claims involve federal wage-and-hour violations (for example, overtime), we refer to them as “collective actions,” which are similar in principle but follow a different procedural path.

More specifically, a class action allows one or more individuals (called “class representatives” or “named plaintiffs”) to file a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group of people at their work when the employer has harmed them all in a similar way. Instead of each person filing their own individual lawsuit, a class action consolidates these claims into a single, powerful case.

Class actions are particularly valuable in employment law when a company’s policy or practice affects many workers in similar ways—such as discriminatory hiring practices, unequal pay and promotion practices, and wage theft.

Why Bring a Class Action?

Class actions offer significant advantages for workers seeking justice:

• Strength in numbers. When multiple people come forward with similar claims, it demonstrates a pattern of conduct rather than an isolated incident. This makes your case more compelling and harder for defendants to dismiss.
• Shared resources. The legal costs and risks are distributed across the group rather than falling on one person. This makes it financially feasible to challenge large corporations with substantial legal resources.
• Greater accountability. Class actions can force companies to change harmful policies that affect many workers, not just resolve one person’s complaint. When employers face consequences for systemic misconduct, it creates lasting change.
• Efficiency and protection. Rather than dozens or hundreds of individual lawsuits, one case addresses everyone’s claims at once. There is safety and power in collective action, especially when challenging powerful employers.

Common Types of Employment Class Actions

Class actions often arise from company-wide policies or practices that affect groups of workers. Our firm handles cases involving:

Discrimination and Harassment

• Gender discrimination in pay, promotion, or hiring
• Race discrimination affecting advancement and compensation
• National origin or ethnicity discrimination in pay, promotions, and firings.
• Age discrimination in layoffs, hiring, or career opportunities
• Disability discrimination and failure to accommodate
• Pregnancy discrimination and inadequate leave policies
• LGBTQ+ discrimination in workplace treatment and benefits

Wage and Hour Violations

• Unpaid overtime and misclassification of employees
• Minimum wage violations
• Off-the-clock work requirements
• Meal and rest break violations
• Wage theft and improper deductions

Hiring, Pay, and Promotion Practices

• Discriminatory hiring practices, including use of AI or automated screening tools that have disparate impact
• Glass ceiling barriers preventing advancement
• Unequal pay for equal work
• Biased performance evaluation systems

Policy-Based Violations

• Return-to-office mandates without reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, caregivers, or employees with disabilities
• Discriminatory leave policies
• Retaliation against workers who report problems or assert their rights
• Systemic harassment tolerated by management

Industry-Specific Patterns

• Women in male-dominated industries—such as technology, finance, engineering, and trucking—facing barriers to pay, promotion, and fair treatment
• Racial discrimination in specific sectors or companies
• Age-based layoffs or forced retirements

How to Know If You Have a Class Action Case

Your situation may be appropriate for a class action if:

• The situation involves many people. You know others at your company or former employees who faced similar treatment.
• There’s a common policy or practice. A company-wide policy, procedure, or pattern of behavior is harming people rather than one supervisor’s isolated actions.
• The employer is sizeable. Larger companies (typically those with substantial numbers of employees) are more likely to have systematic patterns affecting multiple workers.
• The harm is similar across the group. While individual damages may vary, the type of violation and how it occurred should be similar for class members.
• There are clear legal violations. The employer’s conduct violates employment laws, such as anti-discrimination statutes, wage and hour laws, or worker protection regulations.

Even if you’re not sure your situation fits these criteria, it’s worth reaching out. Our experienced employment attorneys can help you evaluate whether a class action is appropriate.