Federal Judge Opens Door to Housekeeper Class Action Lawsuit

Two former Chicago-area housekeepers may pursue a class action lawsuit against their employer after a federal judge ruled in their favor this month, Cook County Record reports.

The two women allege that their former employer, Best Maids Inc. of Hickory Hills, Illinois, neglected to pay its workers for travel time between worksites. Best Maids employs about 90 housekeepers who service more than 900 clients.

The plaintiffs, who worked for Best Maids from 2015 to 2017, allege they were not paid for regularly driving themselves and co-workers to jobsites and for driving to their employer’s office to pick up and drop off supplies, equipment, and keys. They also allege Best Maids set fixed times for housekeepers to finish a job. If the tasks took longer than allotted, they were usually not paid for the extra time.

The plaintiffs claimed Best Maids violated the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, and they sought class action status for their suit.

Best Maids representatives said the defendants failed to show the company followed a “common practice of denying compensation.” In addition, the company contended class action status was not suitable, because claims of uncompensated travel time made by different housekeepers would be too individualized.