COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Contingent Liabilities

The Company records an accrual for contingent liabilities when a loss is both probable and reasonably estimable. If some amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, that amount is accrued. When no amount within a range of loss appears to be a better estimate than any other amount, the lowest amount in the range is accrued.

Legal Proceedings

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings which arise in the ordinary course of business. However, litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, and an adverse result in these or other matters may arise from time to time that may harm our business. We are currently not aware of any such legal proceedings or claims that we believe will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results except as set forth below:

Wage and Hour Matters

Felipe v. Arcadia, Inc. and One Stop Employment Services, Inc. (“One Stop”). This complaint was filed on October 22, 2021 in Los Angeles Superior Court and purports to allege a class action on behalf of all non-exempt California employees who worked on behalf of One Stop or Arcadia at any time during the four years preceding the date of the complaint. One Stop is a staffing agency which provides temporary workers, including to Arcadia. The complaint states claims under California’s labor laws and under its general Unfair Business Practices Act, California Business & Professions Code section 17200. The plaintiff has subsequently dismissed the class action claims without prejudice, acknowledging that Arcadia’s arbitration agreement likely bars such class claims. The plaintiff also filed a separate action under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) alleging essentially the same wage and hour violations. This action included other Arcadia employees. In Viking River Cruises, Inc. versus Moriana, the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that arbitration agreements may bar representative PAGA claims. However, Viking River left open certain state law issues, which the California Supreme Court has agreed to address. Currently, Felipe’s PAGA representative claims are stayed, and will likely remain stayed until a California Supreme Court ruling. The plaintiff has however commenced arbitration on individual claims, with arbitration set for 2024.

Mayorga v. Arcadia, Inc. This complaint was filed on November 15, 2021 in Los Angeles Superior Court. It purported to allege a class action on behalf of all of the Company’s non-exempt California employees who worked at the Company within four years before the date the complaint was filed. It asserts claims substantially similar to those asserted in the Felipe case but does not include One Stop as a defendant. The plaintiff amended his complaint to delete class action claims and any individual non-PAGA claims. Accordingly, plaintiff’s complaint is now limited to PAGA collective action claims. As in Felipe, those PAGA representative claims are currently stayed and will likely remain stayed until the California Supreme Court addresses the state law issues left open by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Viking River Cruises, Inc. versus Moriana. The plaintiff has however commenced arbitration on a solely individual basis of his wage and hour claims. The arbitral body has appointed an arbitrator to adjudicate those claims and a hearing has been set for 2024. The remaining Mayorga PAGA representative claims have now been assigned to the same judge as the Felipe case.

We have mediated the Mayorga claims, and as a result have reached a settlement in principle. Arcadia has agreed to pay $375 of a total $600 settlement amount to resolve its portion of all PAGA claims in both the Mayorga and Felipe actions. As proposed, the settlement would not resolve the individual claims of the plaintiff in Felipe. The settlement will become final only if the parties reach agreement on a final written document containing all settlement terms, and only if such settlement is approved by the court. There is no guarantee either condition will occur.

During the second quarter of 2023, Arcadia reserved $375 which represents its current estimate of loss to resolve all PAGA claims. Under the Equity Purchase Agreement, the Company is indemnified for the liability recognized to date related to these matters. Therefore, an offsetting receivable was also recognized such that there was no impact to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations during the three and six months ended June 30, 2023.

With respect to Felipe’s remaining individual claims and to the extent not resolved through the settlement in principle, Arcadia intends to vigorously defend against the Felipe and Mayorga actions. Due to the nature of these matters and inherent uncertainties, it is not possible to provide an evaluation of the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome or an estimate of the amount or range of potential loss, if any, in this circumstance.