The unpaid wages lawsuits against Allied Universal center on a single allegation repeated across dozens of cases: the security company pays guards for their scheduled shifts rather than the hours they actually work, leaving them short on regular pay, overtime, and meal and rest break premiums. Allied Universal and the companies it now owns have paid more than $180 million in wage and hour penalties and settlements across more than 150 separate enforcement records, according to the Good Jobs First Violation Tracker.1Good Jobs First. Violation Tracker – Allied Universal Security Services If you worked for Allied Universal or one of its predecessors, some of that money may still be waiting for you.
What the Lawsuits Say
The core complaint is straightforward. Guards say they were required to arrive early, stay late, or work through meal breaks, and their paychecks reflected only the scheduled shift. A 2023 case in the Southern District of Indiana, Sears v. Universal Protection Service, LLC, described Allied Universal’s “pay practices and policies” as denying both regular and overtime wages by compensating officers for scheduled hours instead of recorded hours.2Indiana Wage Law. Sears v. Universal Protection Service, LLC d/b/a Allied Universal Security Services
Earlier collective actions made the same point in different courts. Simmons v. Allied Universal, filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2017, alleged the company failed to pay security guards and site supervisors an overtime premium for hours above 40 in a week, and sought liquidated damages equal to the unpaid wages under the Fair Labor Standards Act.3ClassAction.org. Simmons v. Allied Universal, Civil Action No. 2:17-cv-01029-PBT Moore v. Universal Protection Service, filed in the Central District of California in 2019, raised similar off-the-clock claims before being terminated in July 2022 in connection with a related class settlement.4CourtListener. Reginald Moore v. Universal Protection Service, LP, 5:19-cv-02124
The Kronos ransomware attack of late 2021 added another chapter. With the payroll system down, Allied Universal allegedly paid workers based on “reduced payroll estimates” or prior-period earnings rather than the actual hours they logged, according to a lawsuit filed by Forester Haynie and Shellist Lazarz Slobin. Guards said the workaround left them short on overtime and regular wages for weeks.5Forester Haynie. Forester Haynie Files FLSA and Class Action Lawsuit Against Allied Universal
Settlements and Enforcement Recoveries
Several of the disputes have already produced substantial payouts. Some involved companies that Allied Universal later acquired, which matters because those settlements now sit on the parent company’s record and, in some cases, still have relevance to class members who worked for the predecessor.
G4S: $130 Million Meal Break Settlement
The largest single resolution came in January 2019, when G4S Secure Solutions agreed to pay up to $130 million to settle a California state class action alleging the company denied thousands of security officers required meal breaks and rest periods. Allied Universal purchased G4S in 2021.6Law360. Security Co. to Pay $130M to Settle Guards’ Meal Break Suit
U.S. Security Associates: $21 Million
Abdullah v. U.S. Security Associates settled for $21 million in the Central District of California after eight years of litigation. The case covered roughly 17,000 California guards who alleged they were deprived of meal and rest breaks, forced to pay for certain job items out of pocket, and denied pay for missed vacation and upon termination. The settlement was non-reversionary, and eligible class members received an average of about $1,235 without filing a claim form.7Top Class Actions. $21M Unpaid Wages Class Action Settlement to Benefit California Security Guards
AlliedBarton: $11 Million
AlliedBarton Security Services paid $11 million to settle Dynabursky v. AlliedBarton, covering nearly 44,000 non-exempt hourly workers employed in California between April 2004 and January 2015. The claims included denied meal and rest breaks, inaccurate wage statements, and unpaid hours. Payments went out on a pro-rata basis by weeks worked, no claim form required.8Top Class Actions. AlliedBarton Settles Wage Class Action Lawsuit for $11M
Hakeem: $10 Million
Hakeem v. Universal Protection Service, LP produced a $10 million gross settlement covering non-exempt employees who worked in California between November 2017 and February 2020. Claims included unpaid wages and overtime, meal and rest period violations, recordkeeping failures, unreimbursed business expenses, and waiting-time penalties. Payments were calculated by pay periods worked. The company admitted no wrongdoing.9CPT Group. Hakeem v. Universal Protection Service Settlement Agreement
Department of Labor: $1.1 Million for Amazon-Site Guards
In October 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor recovered nearly $1.1 million for 778 Allied Universal guards who worked at Amazon’s Seattle headquarters. Investigators found the company automatically deducted 45 minutes per workday for a meal break, then required workers to stay at their posts or keep working through those breaks, without adjusting hours or pay. The recovery included $549,947 in back wages, an equal amount in liquidated damages, and $50,000 in civil penalties.10U.S. Department of Labor. News Release: WHD11The Columbian. Security Contractor for Amazon Fined $1.1M for Shorting Seattle Workers
New York Prevailing Wage: $229,718
In April 2024, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander announced a $229,718 settlement with Allied Universal over underpayment of seven guards at a Chelsea condominium building that had received a Section 421-a tax break requiring prevailing wages. Some guards were short nearly $30,000 each for work between September 2016 and February 2019. Allied Universal was also required to audit its contracts at other New York City buildings receiving similar tax breaks and to certify compliance annually.12New York Attorney General. Attorney General James and Comptroller Lander Secure Nearly $230,000 for Building Security Guards
How to Check If You’re Owed Money
If you worked for Allied Universal, AlliedBarton, Universal Protection Service, U.S. Security Associates, G4S, Guardsmark, or Wackenhut, start with the Department of Labor’s Workers Owed Wages database. The Wage and Hour Division may already be holding back wages recovered on your behalf. You search by employer name on dol.gov, and if funds show up, you submit a claim form and identity verification. Processing takes about six weeks. Unclaimed wages are held for three years before being transferred to the U.S. Treasury, so waiting has a cost.13U.S. Department of Labor. Workers Owed Wages
How to File a New Wage Claim
If no recovered wages are listed for you and you believe you were underpaid, you can file a new claim. Keep your own records first: daily start and end times, breaks taken or missed, and every pay stub you can find.
- Federal: file a complaint with the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.13U.S. Department of Labor. Workers Owed Wages
- California: file with the Labor Commissioner’s Office online, by email, by mail, or in person. The statute of limitations is three years for minimum wage, overtime, unpaid meal and rest break, and illegal deduction claims.14California DIR. How to File a Wage Claim
- Pennsylvania: file under the Wage Payment and Collection Law online or by mail with the Department of Labor and Industry. Covered violations include unpaid agreed wages, missing final paychecks, late payments, and improper deductions.15Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. File a Wage Payment and Collection Complaint
- Other states: state labor departments generally offer a similar process. Statutes of limitations vary by state and claim type, so filing sooner protects more of your recovery.
Why the Pattern Matters
The Good Jobs First Violation Tracker’s 152 records against Allied Universal and its predecessors span actions by the federal Wage and Hour Division, the New York Attorney General, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Massachusetts Attorney General, and the Michigan Department of Labor, among others, with entries recorded as recently as 2024.16Good Jobs First. Violation Tracker – Allied Universal Security Services, Page 2 The violations show up under multiple corporate names in multiple states across both federal and state systems. For a current or former guard, the practical takeaway is that unpaid-hours claims against this employer are common, they are frequently recoverable, and identical patterns have repeated across the company’s acquired brands. Allied Universal has grown through a chain of acquisitions that pulled AlliedBarton, Universal Protection Service, U.S. Security Associates, G4S, Guardsmark, and the former Wackenhut Corporation under one roof, and many of the largest settlements on its record were incurred by those subsidiaries.17Allied Universal. About Us