Yelp Unpaid WagesClass Action Lawsuit, Hourly Workers Claim They Were Never Paid for Boot-Up Time

Yelp is facing a proposed class action lawsuit filed in California state court alleging the company failed to pay hourly workers for the time they spent waiting for their work computers to boot up before they could even clock in for a shift. The suit, reported by Law360 on April 22, 2026, targets Yelp’s treatment of call center and hourly staff who say this unpaid time added up across every single workday. No settlement has been reached, and no claim form is available yet.

Quick Facts: Yelp Unpaid Wages Lawsuit

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	April 2026
Defendant	Yelp, Inc.
Alleged Violation	Unpaid wages — boot-up time and off-the-clock work; California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act
Who Is Affected	Hourly Yelp workers in California
Current Court Stage	Proposed class action — early litigation phase
Court & Jurisdiction	California state court (specific court and case number TBD — case details behind Law360 paywall)
Lead Law Firm	TBD — not yet confirmed in available public sources
Next Hearing Date	TBD — no hearing date publicly scheduled as of May 12, 2026
Official Case Website	TBD — none established yet
Last Updated	May 12, 2026

What Is the Yelp Lawsuit About?

Is there a class action lawsuit against Yelp for unpaid wages? Yes — and the core issue is something that happened to workers before their shifts even officially started.

A former Yelp employee alleges the company failed to pay hourly workers for the minutes they spent waiting for their work computers to boot up before they could clock in for each shift. That might sound like a small thing, but multiply it across hundreds of employees working five days a week, 52 weeks a year, and those unpaid minutes turn into real money.

The agents were required to use company computer networks and applications to carry out their jobs. Yelp allegedly required those agents to perform off-the-clock work — including booting up computers and software programs before shifts, working through lunch breaks, and shutting down computers after shifts — without paying them for any of that time.

This type of claim falls under California’s Labor Code and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — the federal law that requires employers to pay workers for all time they are “suffered or permitted to work.” Under the FLSA, your workday starts when you begin your first work-related task, even if you have not punched in yet. Boot-up time, when required by your employer, counts.

This is not a new legal theory. The Ninth Circuit has already weighed in on similar cases. In Cadena v. Customer Connexx LLC, No. 23-15820 (2024), the Ninth Circuit reversed a lower court ruling that favored the employer and sent the case back for trial, stating that it is the company’s responsibility to establish that the boot-up time was de minimis — too short to count — and that it had not yet done so. That precedent sits squarely behind the Yelp lawsuit.

Related article: BISSELL Steam Cleaner Defective Recall Class Action Lawsuit, Nearly 5 Million Units Recalled and Hundreds Already Burned

If you worked hourly for Yelp in California and went through this same routine every day, this employment class action was filed with workers like you in mind. For a broader look at how these cases work, see our guide to how to file a wage and hour complaint.

Are You Part of the Yelp Class Action Lawsuit?

Here is how to know if this lawsuit includes you. The case targets hourly Yelp employees in California, particularly those who worked at call centers and were required to boot up company computers before clocking in.

You may be part of this class if:

• You worked as an hourly employee at Yelp in California
• You were required to use company computers or software to do your job
• You booted up your computer before you were able to clock in for your shift
• You shut down your computer after clocking out
• You worked through lunch breaks or stayed past your shift end time without being paid for it
• You were discouraged from recording time worked outside your scheduled hours

You are likely NOT included if:

• You worked as a salaried or exempt employee at Yelp
• You worked in a role that did not require you to use a company computer to start work
• You worked for Yelp outside of California (this is a California state court filing)

If you were a Yelp hourly worker and this matches your experience, you may already be part of this class — most class members are automatically included once a class is certified by the court. You do not need to do anything to join right now. For context on how California protects workers in these situations, our article on the statute of limitations for wage and hour claims in California explains your rights and the deadlines that apply.

What Are Yelp Plaintiffs Seeking in This Lawsuit?

This is not a payout section — no money is available yet and no claim form exists. Here is what the lawsuit is actually asking for.

The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages for sales agents who worked beyond their scheduled shifts, as well as compensation for off-the-clock time spent starting up and shutting down computer systems and attending sales meetings and training sessions. Under the FLSA and California Labor Code, plaintiffs can also seek unpaid overtime for any week where those extra minutes pushed total hours past 40.

Beyond back pay, plaintiffs in unpaid wages lawsuits like this typically seek civil penalties under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which allows workers to recover statutory penalties on behalf of themselves and other affected employees. No specific damages figure has been confirmed in publicly available court filings as of May 12, 2026.

What the plaintiffs want most, beyond compensation, is for Yelp to change its timekeeping system so future workers get paid for every minute they work.

What Should You Do If You Were Affected by Yelp?

You do not need to file anything right now. Here is what makes practical sense at this stage:

• Do nothing and wait — most hourly Yelp workers who match the class description will be automatically included once the court certifies the class. You will receive a notice in the mail when that happens.
• Save your records now — dig out any pay stubs, work schedules, timesheets, emails from managers, or anything that shows when your shifts started and ended. The more documentation you have, the stronger your position.
• Note your dates — write down approximately when you worked for Yelp, which location or team, and what your daily computer login routine looked like.
• Consider a free legal consultation — if you want to pursue an individual claim rather than wait for the class action, speak with a consumer rights lawyer or employment discrimination attorney who handles wage cases in California. They can tell you whether an individual claim makes sense given your situation.
• Check back for updates — monitor Law360 (law360.com) and California court dockets for case number filings and hearing dates as they become available. We will update this article as new details are confirmed.

Yelp Class Action Lawsuit Timeline

Milestone	Date
Previous similar FLSA suit filed (Poye et al. v. Yelp)	2017 — Northern District of California
Current California state court suit filed	April 22, 2026
Class Certification Motion	TBD — not yet filed as of May 12, 2026
Last Major Court Ruling	TBD — case too new for rulings
Next Scheduled Hearing	TBD — no public hearing date confirmed
Expected Settlement Timeline	TBD — most employment class actions take 2–3 years from filing to resolution

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a class action lawsuit against Yelp for unpaid wages?

Yes. A proposed class action was filed in California state court on April 22, 2026, alleging Yelp failed to pay hourly workers for time spent waiting for their computers to boot up before clocking in. The case is in its early stage — no class has been certified yet.

Do I need to do anything right now to be included in the Yelp lawsuit?

 No. In California employment class actions, workers who fit the class description are typically included automatically once the court certifies the class. You will receive a mailed notice at that point explaining your options, including the right to opt out.

When will a settlement be reached in the Yelp boot-up time case?

 There is no way to predict this. California class actions often take two to three years or longer from the date of filing until a settlement is reached and checks are mailed. The case was filed in April 2026, so any resolution is likely years away.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Yelp instead of joining the class action?

 Yes. You have the right to opt out of the class action and pursue your own individual claim. To do that, you should speak with a class action lawsuit attorney who handles California wage cases. Note that individual lawsuits carry their own costs and risks.

How will I know if the Yelp lawsuit settles?

 The court will require that all class members receive formal written notice before any settlement is finalized. You can also monitor Law360 and public California court dockets. We will update this article when any major development is confirmed.

Why does boot-up time count as work under the law? 

Under federal law, employers are responsible for establishing whether unpaid pre-shift time is truly de minimis. The Ninth Circuit has made clear that when employees must boot up computers as a required part of their job, that time is potentially compensable — and it is the employer’s burden to prove otherwise.

Did Yelp face similar wage claims before? 

Yes. A prior class action, Poye et al. v. Yelp, Inc., was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging Yelp call center agents were not paid for boot-up time, lunch break work, and post-shift computer shutdown time, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 2026 California state court case appears to revisit these same core allegations.

Sources & References

• Law360 — Yelp Stiffed Calif. Workers On Boot-Up Time, Suit Says, April 22, 2026: https://www.law360.com/articles/2468326

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against publicly available court records and Law360 reporting dated April 22, 2026. Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.