Hoffman v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Short-Term Disability Plan

**What Happened** An employee filed a lawsuit against ISS Facility Services, Inc. under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which allows workers to sue employers on behalf of the state for workplace violations like unpaid wages. The company tried to force the employee into private arbitration instead of allowing the case to go to court, pointing to an arbitration agreement the worker had signed. **What the Court Decided** The court ruled in favor of the employee, saying the case could proceed in court rather than arbitration. The judges found that the company's attempt to block PAGA lawsuits through their arbitration agreement was unenforceable under California law. Even though the worker had signed an arbitration agreement, the court determined that certain provisions in that agreement actually allowed PAGA claims to be filed in court. **Why This Matters for Workers** This decision protects workers' ability to file PAGA lawsuits in court, which is important because these cases help enforce labor laws when the government lacks resources to investigate every workplace violation. Workers can still hold employers accountable for wage theft and other violations even if they signed arbitration agreements, ensuring broader workplace protections remain accessible.