In re Colgate-Palmolive Co. Erisa Litigation

**What Happened** Thousands of Colgate-Palmolive employees and retirees sued the company over pension benefit miscalculations. The lawsuit claimed that Colgate-Palmolive made errors when calculating retirement benefits under their employee pension plan, which is governed by federal ERISA laws. These mistakes affected 8,612 current and former workers who were receiving incorrect pension payments - likely lower amounts than they were entitled to receive. **What the Court Decided** A federal court in New York approved a $45.9 million class action settlement in July 2014. This means Colgate-Palmolive agreed to pay this amount to resolve the pension miscalculation dispute without admitting wrongdoing. The settlement money will be distributed among the affected workers to correct their pension benefits. The lawyers who represented the workers received $11.475 million in fees plus costs. **Why This Matters for Workers** This case shows that employees can successfully challenge pension benefit errors through group lawsuits. When companies miscalculate retirement benefits, workers have legal protections under ERISA that allow them to seek corrections and compensation. The substantial settlement demonstrates that courts take pension calculation errors seriously and will hold employers accountable for properly managing employee retirement benefits.