California's Labor Commissioner fined Hyatt Regency Long Beach $4,799,564 for failing to timely offer job positions to 25 employees who had been laid off during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the hotel began staffing back up after COVID-19, it was supposed to offer laid off workers jobs but didn't.
Some of the workers filed complaints with the Labor Commissioner, which began assessing liquidated damages of $500 per worker for each day the employee's recall rights were violated. The $4,799,564 citation was for 25 unrecalled employees.
Hyatt isn't alone in receiving citations. In July 2022, the Terranea Resort was cited for the same reasons and eventually paid workers $1.52 million in a settlement.
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