IIn February 2022, ex -Matthew Morel project control resonate demanded HNTB Corp. In a class action, seeking a compensation for remote work expenses. In January, a Federal Judge of San Diego temporarily approved an agreement with which the engineering firm will refund a total of $ 490,000 on telephone costs and the Internet to several hundred California employees who worked from home for a period of four years that included Covid-19 Pandemic.
A final hearing on terms of settlement is scheduled for July.
There was another part of Morel’s complaint that did not refer to the national and multi-industrial question of who pays business-related expenses when employees work from home.
Along with his demand for the expenses, Morel’s lawyer complained in letters attached to the complaint that during the seven months he was employed by HNTB had been verbally besieged by a document control administrator he oversaw. The lawyer proposed a $ 120,000 solution related to the alleged harassment and a mistaken termination.
What became morel bullying and discrimination complaints is unclear. HNTB officials and company lawyer on the case could not be reached in time for the publication of this story. Morel himself could not be reached by means of a message sent to Linkedin and his lawyer was not immediately available for comments.
The central argument in the bullying of Morel and the burdens of illicit completion was his accusation that the administrator controlled the document he oversaw the derogatory observations on his Australian origin and accent.
The hiring and experience of Morel
The seven-month-old design plant with Kansas City, Mo., according to a local California website, began when HNTB hired it in January 2021. Educated in Australia, with a title in construction management, its main responsibility was to monitor the document control team of the San Bernardino I-10 Transportation Transport Project in Free. HNTB provided project management and construction management services.
During his occupation, Morel says, the document control administrator mocked his accent and made derogatory observations, such as referring to “Crocodile Dundee” and calling him “the man below” in front of his colleagues.
Another employee allegedly referred to the Dundee crocodile and would call him “the man below” in front of his colleagues.
—Tetter sent to HNTB by a lawyer for former staff Matthew Morel
Morel denounced his behavior to supervisors and a human resources manager in various emails, according to his lawyer’s letter to HNTB. Despite Morel’s attempts to advise the administrator as a supervisor, according to Morel, he resisted the criticism and directors of the HNTB who complained not to respond or investigate. A HNTB staff member advised Morel to ignore the behavior, stated, and no action was taken after sending an email to a project control leader who alleged discrimination as the “only foreign citizen” of the project. After he had been with the company for seven months, HNTB finished it, he claims that in retaliation for his complaints about bullying and non -refunded expenses. His proposal that HNTB paid him $ 120,000 aimed to resolve Morel’s harassment, illicit termination and claims of non -refunded expenses.
Remote expenses: a national number
Morel v. Hntb It reflects a changing landscape to compensate for professional workers for remote work expenses. Covid-19 pandemic normalized remote work, with 52% of US workers at hybrid schedules and 24% completely remote operation, for a survey of 2025 Gallup. The 2024 survey of the Society for Human Resource Management Notes 60% of the companies now have formal remote work policies.
Some entrepreneurs argue that high winners should cover the cost of their own tools, but tools and technology and communication platforms complicate the problem.
California has some of the rules of strictest expenses and wages. New York Labor Act 198-Covers business-related expenses. Illinois salary payment law requires refund of work -related costs.
Sometimes it is decided what is refunded in court. In 2024, Massachusetts’ case was a award of $ 1.2 million for costs on the Internet and by 2023, Texas’s case was set for $ 900,000 on equipment expenses. Some cities, such as Seattle and San Francisco, have their ordinances that cover remote work expenses.
Federally, the Fair Labor Rules Law (FLSA) does not cover the rules of reimbursement of the remote work, but a recent employment guidance department of 2023 warns entrepreneurs that unpaid expenses violate salary laws and can trigger responsibility.
The demand of the Morel class
Morel originally filed his lawsuit with the High Court of San Diego, but later moved to the Federal Court. Siting a California Labor Code that requested employees to reimburse employees for the necessary expenses performed while performing their work tasks, Morel claimed that the telephone costs by remote employees supported work tasks such as email access and team communication.
Initially, Morel stated in his demand, other household office costs such as income and public services should also be reimbursed, which suggested that all 839 California’s remote-working employees should be refunded for four years.
HNTB mounted his defense on various fronts.
The company challenged Morel’s taking as a plaintiff because he no longer worked for HNTB. He also said that the characterization of Morel of the class action group group was indefinite, without any information about his roles in the company. This, HNTB argued, underwent his right to compensation and his right to recover damage to the violations of the State Labor Code by virtue of the General State Law of Private Lawyers (PAGE).
HNTB was partially successful in avoiding broader compensation claims of Morel when the court allowed a modified complaint focused exclusively on the costs of the mobile phone and the Internet.
HNTB was partially successful in Morel’s broader compensation claims, and in November 2022 the court allowed a modified complaint focused exclusively on the costs of the mobile phone and the Internet. The following year, Morel and HNTB lawyers sought mediation and went anywhere, but at subsequent liquidation conferences, with the help of a mediator and a judge, both sides reached an agreement for an agreement.
By virtue of the evaluation of Judge Anthony J. Battaglia of $ 490,000, the agreement provides $ 300 to $ 360 per employee. Other aspects of the agreement must still be completed. Lawyers’ fees, requested to $ 161,700, could be reduced to $ 122,500. HNTB may be required to pay $ 49,000 in the state.
Finally, Morel may receive an incentive prize of $ 5,000 to $ 10,000, which is common in successful California Class Action demands. This payment, like most of the other details, will probably be discussed and discussed in July.
