Kenneth Edward Smith has taken a bold step in seeking justice for himself and other employees by filing a class-action lawsuit against his former employer, alleging numerous violations of California labor laws. The complaint was filed on November 21, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, targeting Doc’s, Inc., a California corporation.
Smith’s allegations are comprehensive and serious. He claims that Doc’s, Inc. systematically denied him and other employees their rightful meal and rest breaks, forcing them to work through these periods without compensation. This alleged practice is said to be in direct violation of Labor Code §§ 226.7, 512, and 558. Furthermore, Smith accuses the company of failing to pay all wages due at termination and not providing accurate wage statements as required by law.
According to the complaint, Smith and his colleagues were routinely made to wait off-the-clock for time clocks to become available before they could start their shifts—a practice that resulted in unpaid work hours. Additionally, he asserts that overtime wages were not properly calculated or paid because bonuses and commissions were excluded from regular rate calculations. This oversight allegedly led to further violations of Labor Code §§ 510, 1194, and 1194.2.
The lawsuit seeks several forms of relief from the court: compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits; penalties for failure to provide accurate wage statements; reimbursement for business expenses such as uniform maintenance; attorney’s fees; costs of suit; prejudgment interest; and any other relief deemed just by the court.
Smith is represented by Roman Otkupman from Otkupman Law Firm. The case has been assigned Case No. [not provided] with Judge [not provided] presiding over it.
Source: 25CV028173_Kenneth_Edward_v_Docs_Complaint_County_of_Sacramento.pdf
