CHICAGO — A Romeoville-based trucking and warehousing company has been hit with a class action lawsuit under a state biometrics privacy law, accusing the company of violating employees' rights by compelling them to scan their fingerprints each time they punch in and out of a work shift.
On March 15, Brandon Diller, individually and as representative of a class of similarly situated persons, filed a complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against Lesaint Logistics LLC.
According to the complaint, Diller worked for LeSaint at its Bolingbrook facility from June 13-July 29, 2018. The plaintiff had to scan his fingerprint for timekeeping and payroll purposes each time he began and ended a work shift or took unpaid breaks. The complaint accuses LeSaint of scanning, retaining and storing Diller's and other workers' biometric information without their authorization, and without explaining in writing how the company would safeguard and ultimately destroy their records.
The plaintiff is seeking damages of $1,000-$5,000 per violation, which can be interpreted to include each time he and other workers punched in or out on the company's biometric time clock. He is also seeking attorney fees and court costs. The plaintiff is represented by attorneys Phillip A. Bock, Tod A. Lewis, David M. Oppenheimer, Mara A. Baltabois of Bock, Hatch, Lewis and Oppenheim LLC in Chicago.
Circuit Court of Cook County Case No. 2019-CH-03410