Menasha Packaging $1.73M Wage and Hour Class Action Settlement, Who Qualifies and How Payments Work

Current and former hourly workers at Menasha Packaging in California, including temporary workers sent by staffing agencies, are covered by a proposed $1,732,500 settlement of a wage and hour class action in Los Angeles Superior Court. The settlement resolves claims over unpaid wages, missed meal and rest breaks and related California Labor Code violations. Menasha denies breaking any law.

You do not have to file a claim. If you’re in the class, a check is mailed to you automatically unless you opt out. The deadline to opt out, object or dispute your workweek count is November 21, 2026. The court has preliminarily approved the settlement but has not given final approval, and the hearing is February 9, 2027.

Official settlement website: MenashaClassActionSettlement.com

Menasha Packaging Wage and Hour Settlement: Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Case name	Esiquio Tello, et al. v. Menasha Packaging Company, LLC, et al.
Case number	20STCV13818
Court	Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Defendants	Menasha Packaging Company, LLC and Menasha Corporation
Named plaintiffs	Esiquio Tello, Yasmin Aguirre, Ramon Ortiz Partida, Edelmira Armenta and Leonard Enriquez
Maximum settlement	$1,732,500
Who is covered	Current and former hourly, non-exempt workers at Menasha in California, including temp workers assigned by staffing agencies, from January 15, 2017 through September 15, 2024
PAGA period	July 31, 2018 through September 15, 2024 (as reported; confirm in your Notice)
Claim form required?	No. Checks are mailed automatically
Opt-out, objection and workweek dispute deadline	November 21, 2026
Final approval hearing	February 9, 2027, 10:00 a.m., Department 10, 312 North Spring Street, Los Angeles
Final approval status	Preliminarily approved; final approval pending
Settlement administrator	Simpluris, (888) 427-9229

What Is the Tello v. Menasha Packaging Wage and Hour Lawsuit About?

The plaintiffs are former Menasha employees and temporary workers placed at Menasha by staffing agencies, including Simplified Labor Staffing Solutions, Inc. They say the companies violated California labor law by:

• not paying for all hours worked at minimum wage or the overtime rate, including through time-rounding practices
• not providing legally compliant meal periods or paying meal period premium pay
• not providing legally compliant rest periods or paying rest period premium pay
• not reimbursing business expenses
• not paying wages on time and not paying all final wages when employment ended
• not providing accurate wage statements
• not providing adequate facilities or working conditions

They also asserted civil penalty claims under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Menasha Packaging Company, LLC and Menasha Corporation strongly deny violating any law and say they complied with all applicable laws. The court has not decided who is right. The two sides reached the deal through a neutral mediator, and the settlement is not an admission of any violation.

Which California Laws Apply to the Menasha Packaging Wage and Hour Class Action?

The settlement describes the claims by category and does not list every statute. These are the California laws that generally govern each claim, so check the pleadings for the exact counts.

• Overtime and minimum wage: California Labor Code §§ 510, 1194 and 1197. Employees must be paid at least minimum wage and overtime for hours worked, and can recover unpaid amounts.
• Meal and rest periods: Labor Code §§ 512 and 226.7. Employers must provide compliant meal and rest breaks or pay one hour of premium pay for each violation. The California Supreme Court explained these duties in Brinker Restaurant Corp. v. Superior Court (2012) 53 Cal.4th 1004.
• Time rounding. California courts have allowed neutral rounding policies, as in See’s Candy Shop, Inc. v. Superior Court (2012) 210 Cal.App.4th 889, but the California Supreme Court held in Donohue v. AMN Services, LLC (2021) 11 Cal.5th 58 that rounding meal period time records can be unlawful. This is why the settlement separates the rounding period from the non-rounding period.
• Business expense reimbursement: Labor Code § 2802. Employers must reimburse necessary work expenses.
• Timely wages and final pay: Labor Code §§ 204 and 201-203. These set pay deadlines and can trigger waiting-time penalties when final wages are late.
• Wage statements: Labor Code § 226. Wage statements must be accurate and complete.
• Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), Labor Code § 2698 et seq. PAGA lets an employee pursue civil penalties on behalf of the State. Under the older penalty split, 75% goes to the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) and 25% to aggrieved employees, which matches this settlement’s PAGA split. PAGA was reformed in 2024, so check how the current version applies to future cases.
• Unfair Competition Law, Business and Professions Code § 17200. The settlement’s release covers unfair competition claims tied to the wage violations.
• Class action procedure: Code of Civil Procedure § 382 and California Rules of Court, rule 3.769. Rule 3.769 requires court approval of a class settlement after notice and a hearing, which is why the court must decide on final approval on February 9, 2027.
• Tax rules. Part of each payment is treated as wages and part as penalties and interest (see below).

For a comparison with another California wage case that pays automatically, read MTC $1.4M Wage Settlement, Are You Owed A Payment?

Who Is Included in the Menasha Packaging Settlement?

The settlement divides workers into two groups, based on when they worked:

• Rounding period: January 15, 2017 through January 16, 2022. Menasha contends it stopped rounding employees’ time on January 16, 2022. These workers were subject to the company’s time-rounding practices.
• Non-rounding period: January 17, 2022 through September 15, 2024.

Both groups consist of hourly, non-exempt workers in California, whether they were employed directly by Menasha or worked there through a staffing agency. Salaried or exempt workers generally do not qualify just because they worked for one of the companies. Your Notice shows the number of workweeks credited to you. A staffing agency worker who was never assigned to Menasha should not assume they qualify.

A separate group, called Aggrieved Employees, is covered by the PAGA portion of the deal. One draft source gives the PAGA period as July 31, 2018 through September 15, 2024, but the settlement website’s FAQ pages as reviewed did not state it, so confirm the dates in your Notice. Some workers may get both a class payment and a PAGA payment.

How Much Is the Menasha Settlement and Where Does the Money Go?

Menasha will pay a maximum of $1,732,500, funded no more than 20 days after the judgment becomes final. The court decides the final amounts of these deductions at the final approval hearing:

Deduction	Maximum requested
Attorneys’ fees to Class Counsel	$779,625 (45% of the settlement)
Litigation expenses	$57,500
Class representative awards	$50,000 total (up to $10,000 for each of the five plaintiffs)
Settlement administration (Simpluris)	$39,374.41
PAGA penalties	$75,000 total: $56,250 to the LWDA and $18,750 to Aggrieved Employees

If the court approves every one of those amounts in full, about $731,000 would remain for class members, plus the $18,750 PAGA share for Aggrieved Employees. That is arithmetic from the figures above, not a number the settlement states, and the actual amount depends on what the judge approves. Class Counsel have worked without pay so far. California courts often look closely at fee requests above one-third of a settlement, so the 45% request is worth watching. Participating class members can object to any of these deductions.

How Is My Menasha Settlement Payment Calculated?

Payments are based on workweeks. The net settlement is split 80% to workers in the rounding period and 20% to workers in the non-rounding period. Within each group, your share equals your workweeks divided by the group’s total workweeks. These percentages are allocation rules for the two groups, not a promise that you receive 80% or 20% of the settlement. The administrator uses Menasha’s and the staffing agencies’ payroll and timekeeping records to count workweeks, and the number credited to you is printed on your Notice.

Aggrieved Employees also receive a PAGA payment. It is $18,750 divided by all PAGA workweeks, multiplied by your PAGA workweeks. Participating class members get one check combining both payments. Workers who opt out of the class settlement still receive a PAGA check if they qualify. There is no average payment published, so any dollar figure is an estimate until the court rules.

How to Dispute Your Workweek Count in the Menasha Settlement

If you think your workweek count is wrong, send a signed letter to Simpluris by November 21, 2026, with copies of pay stubs or other records. You can use mail, email or fax. The administrator accepts Menasha’s records unless your documents show otherwise, and its decision is final and cannot be appealed. Send copies, since documents are not returned.

Do I Need to File a Claim in the Menasha Settlement?

No. Checks go out by U.S. mail to the same address as your Notice, so tell the administrator if you move. If you believe you worked at Menasha in California during the period but never got a Notice, contact Simpluris to ask whether its records identify you and to confirm your address.

After the court grants final approval and Menasha funds the settlement, you will have a limited time to cash your check. The void date is printed on the front. If you miss it, the money goes to the California Controller’s Unclaimed Property Fund, and you would have to recover it from there. If you lose a check before its void date, the administrator will replace it. There is no confirmed payment date, and the hearing date is not a payment date.

How Are Menasha Settlement Payments Taxed?

The settlement allocates 20% of each class payment to wages, reported on a W-2 with taxes withheld, and 80% to penalties and interest, reported on a 1099. PAGA payments are treated as penalties. Menasha pays its own share of payroll taxes on the wage portion separately. No one in the case is giving tax advice, so ask a tax professional about your situation.

Should You Opt Out, Object or Stay in the Menasha Settlement?

Your choice	What happens	Deadline
Do nothing	You are a participating class member, get a check, and give up the right to sue Menasha over the released wage and hour claims	None
Opt out	No class payment, but you keep the right to bring your own wage and hour claims. You still get a PAGA payment if you qualify	November 21, 2026
Object	You stay in the class and tell the court what you object to. You can also object at the hearing	November 21, 2026
Dispute workweeks	Ask the administrator to correct your workweek count	November 21, 2026

How to Opt Out of the Menasha Settlement

Send a signed letter to the administrator by November 21, 2026. Include your name, address, phone number, approximate dates of employment, the case name (Tello v. Menasha Packaging, LLC, et al.) and your Social Security number for verification. You must make the request yourself, and a request made by someone else on your behalf is invalid. If your Notice was re-mailed, you get 14 extra days. Consider speaking with a licensed California employment attorney first, because individual wage claims have time limits.

How to Object to the Menasha Settlement

Only participating class members can object, so you cannot object if you opt out. Send a signed written objection to the administrator by November 21, 2026, explaining what you object to and why, with your name, address, phone number and approximate dates of employment. You can also object at the hearing, in person or through a lawyer you hire.

Can You Opt Out of the PAGA Part of the Menasha Settlement?

No. All Aggrieved Employees, including those who opt out of the class settlement, give up PAGA claims based on the facts in the case and still get their share of the PAGA money.

What Claims Do You Release in the Menasha Settlement?

If you do not opt out, you cannot sue Menasha, related companies or other released parties over the wage and hour claims alleged in the lawsuit or that could have been alleged based on the same facts. That includes unpaid minimum wage and overtime, meal and rest period violations, unreimbursed expenses, late pay, wage statement and final pay violations, facilities and conditions claims, and unfair competition claims tied to those violations, for the settlement period.

The release does not cover vested benefits, wrongful termination, Fair Employment and Housing Act claims, unemployment, disability, Social Security or workers’ compensation claims, or claims based on events outside the settlement period. If the court denies final approval or the judgment is reversed on appeal, the settlement is void, Menasha pays nothing and no one releases any claims.

When Is the Menasha Settlement Final Approval Hearing?

The hearing is set for February 9, 2027, at 10:00 a.m. in Department 10 of the Los Angeles Superior Court, 312 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, California 90012. You may attend in person or through LACourtConnect, but you do not have to. The court will decide whether to grant final approval and the amounts for attorneys’ fees, expenses and class representative awards. The judgment may become final later than the hearing if objections or appeals delay it.

Menasha Settlement Key Dates

Date	Event
January 15, 2017	Start of the class period
January 16, 2022	End of the rounding period, according to Menasha
September 15, 2024	End of the class period
November 21, 2026	Deadline to opt out, object or dispute workweeks
16 court days before the hearing	Class Counsel file motions for final approval and for fees and expenses
February 9, 2027, 10:00 a.m.	Final approval hearing, Department 10
Up to 20 days after judgment is final	Menasha funds the settlement

Who Represents the Workers and the Companies in Tello v. Menasha Packaging?

Class Counsel are James Hawkins, APLC (for Aguirre, Ortiz Partida and Armenta), The Nourmand Law Firm, APC (for Enriquez) and Lavi & Ebrahimian, LLP (for Tello). Menasha is represented by Sawyer & Labar LLP and Hill Farrer & Burrill LLP. Class Counsel’s fees come out of the settlement if the court approves them.

Menasha Packaging Settlement Contact Information

• Settlement Administrator: Simpluris
• Phone: (888) 427-9229
• Email: [email protected]
• Mail: Esiquio Tello, et al. v. Menasha Packaging Company, LLC, et al., c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 26170, Santa Ana, CA 92799
• Website: MenashaClassActionSettlement.com

Do not call the court with questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Menasha Packaging Wage and Hour Settlement

How much is the Menasha Packaging class action settlement? 

The maximum settlement is $1,732,500. After fees, expenses, awards, administration costs and PAGA penalties, what is left is split among class members by workweeks.

Who qualifies for the Menasha settlement? 

Hourly, non-exempt workers who worked at Menasha in California between January 15, 2017 and September 15, 2024, whether employed by Menasha or placed there by a staffing agency.

Do temporary staffing agency workers qualify?

 Yes, if they were hourly, non-exempt and assigned to work at Menasha in California during the period.

Do I need to file a claim form?

 No. The administrator mails checks to participating class members automatically.

What is the deadline for the Menasha settlement?

 November 21, 2026 to opt out, object or dispute your workweeks. The final approval hearing is February 9, 2027.

Has the Menasha settlement been finally approved?

 No. The court has granted preliminary approval only.

How much will I get?

 It depends on your workweeks and which period you worked in. The website does not give an average payment, and your Notice shows your credited workweeks.

Can I object if I opt out? 

No. Only participating class members can object.

Can I opt out of the PAGA payment?

 No. Aggrieved Employees are bound by the PAGA settlement even if they opt out of the class.

What if I lose my check or move? 

Contact Simpluris at (888) 427-9229 or [email protected]. Replacement checks are available only before the original check’s void date.

When will checks arrive?

 Not until after final approval and funding. There is no confirmed date.

Update Log

• October 16, 2026: Article first published. The court has preliminarily approved the settlement; final approval is pending.

Sources

1. Official settlement website, Tello v. Menasha Packaging Company, LLC, et al. (FAQ, Important Dates and Contact pages), maintained by Simpluris
2. Official settlement FAQs
3. Official important dates
4. Official settlement documents
5. Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. 20STCV13818

AllAboutLawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice. The author is a legal content researcher, not a practicing attorney. The allegations have not been proven, and the settlement remains subject to final court approval. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts verified against the official settlement website for Tello v. Menasha Packaging Company, LLC (FAQ, Important Dates and Contact pages, run by the court-appointed administrator Simpluris), as of October 16, 2026. Last Updated: October 16, 2026.