Tag Archives Rule 68

This term the Supreme Court granted cert to Genesis HealthCare Corp. v. Symczyk, No. 11-1059, an appeal from the Third Circuit decision, 656 F.3d 189 (3d Cir. 2011).  At issue is whether a defendant can moot a putative Fair Labor Standards Act (“FSLA”) collective action by "picking off" the named plaintiff through a Rule 68 offer of judgment before certification.  While the Court's decision will no doubt impact the future viability of wage and hour collective actions, it may also have the potential to affect Rule 23 class actions as well. Briefly, the plaintiff, Laura Symczyk, alleged that her employer, Genesis, improperly deducted her pay for meal breaks even though she often did not take them.  After answering, Genesis proffered a Rule 68 offer of judgment of “$7,500.00 in alleged unpaid wages, plus attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses.”  After the plaintiff refused the offer, Genesis moved to dismiss, arguing that…