SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - A robotics company is blamed for the suicide of one of its former employees in a lawsuit that hopes to become a class action.
Lisa Strauch Eggers brought the case on June 6 on behalf of her late son Samuel against Dexterity, Inc., in San Francisco Superior Court. She is represented by attorneys at The Arms Law Firm.
The case says Sam worked more than 40 hours per week for eight months without proper compensation.
"He was also subject to an unsafe workplace that fostered an environment injurious to the mental and physical health and wellness of its employees," the suit says.
Sam was urged to apply to for a permanent position with equity when his contract termination date was months away, the case says, with the understanding he would be approved unanimously by a panel. However, the vote was not unanimous, and Sam was fired in June 2021.
"Sam, exhausted and betrayed, took his own life," the suit says. "In his final note, Sam stated that the environment and culture at Dexterity were responsible, writing: 'It was all Dex.'"
The case does not make claims for wrongful death but hopes to proceed on behalf of a class of employees who were not paid overtime or given rest or meal breaks, among other alleged labor violations. It chronicles Sam's experiences at the company and can be read here.