Bufil

On the heels of the denial of class certification against employer and respondent Dollar Financial Group, Inc. (Dollar), in a suit alleging violation of meal and rest break labor laws, appellant Caren Bufil pursued class certification in a new suit which significantly narrowed the class definition. Relying on the doctrine of collateral estoppel, the trial court granted judgment on the pleadings in favor of Dollar. Also relying on this doctrine as well as traditional concerns relevant to the issue of certification, the court denied Bufil’s motion for class certification. We reverse.

L FACTUAL BACKGROUND

A. Dollar’s Operations and Policies

Dollar provides check cashing and Western Union services as well as consumer lending, through its 130 retail stores in California. Products and services vary from store to store, and in turn this variety impacts the number and duration of employee transactions in each store, as does variation in store location and hours of operation. Each retail store has its own manager who is responsible for hiring employees and staffing the store and setting employee work schedules, including meal and rest breaks. There is no staffing guideline or…