Ex-housekeeper’s lawsuit accuses Pelican Hill resort of violating labor laws
A former housekeeper at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast has sued the luxury hotel and spa, alleging it routinely shorts employees’ paychecks and that managers forced her out of a job when she was hurt at work while pregnant.
The suit, filed last month in Orange County Superior Court, claims that Pelican Hill has been violating labor laws by refusing to pay overtime or provide proper meal and rest breaks.
Yadira Salgado, a Santa Ana resident who worked at the resort from June 2014 to August 2015, alleges she typically worked through breaks and consistently worked more than eight hours each shift.
But her paychecks, she claims, didn’t reflect the extra hours.
Salgado claims other Pelican Hill employees were treated the same way, though it’s unclear how widespread she believes the practice to be.
The lawsuit also names the Irvine Co., which owns and operates Pelican Hill, and Premier Hospitality Care Inc., a Tustin-based employment agency that was providing workers for Pelican Hill and directly paid Salgado, according to court documents.
Salgado’s attorney, Armond Jackson, did not respond to phone calls and an email seeking comment.
An Irvine Co. representative declined to comment.
Salgado quit her job at the resort last year after her managers wouldn’t accommodate a work-related injury, according to the lawsuit. The suit doesn’t describe the injury but says Salgado was pregnant at the time.
When she filed a workers’ compensation claim, Salgado was prescribed “minor work restrictions,” according to the lawsuit.
“My managers ignored these work restrictions,” Salgado wrote in court documents. “My managers also informed me that I needed to get my work restrictions removed if I wanted to continue working.”
Salgado quit in August to avoid “putting her health and the health of her child in jeopardy,” according to the lawsuit.
Salgado has been unable to find a job elsewhere and is struggling to meet day-to-day expenses, the suit states.
The complaint seeks unspecified damages, including the wages Salgado alleges she should have been paid.
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Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck
