The dispute centered on whether Mars Petcare US, Inc. owed unpaid overtime to employees who were required to wear specific gear between April 14, 2022, and June 17, 2025. Representative Plaintiff Michael Addison filed the initial complaint on April 14, 2025, seeking relief under 29 U.S.C. § 216(b).
The court had previously certified the collective action, ordering notice to be sent to hourly non-exempt production and manufacturing employees who were paid forty hours in any workweek during the relevant period. Approximately 560 employees joined the case following the notice.
Mars Petcare denied the allegations in its answer and asserted various affirmative defenses. The parties disagreed on liability, damages, and the propriety of the case proceeding as a collective action, but they reached a resolution during a full-day mediation with mediator Michael Russell on February 10, 2026.
In an order filed April 14, 2026, Judge Maryellen Noreika approved the settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate. The court found the agreement was the product of arm’s length and good faith negotiations involving counsel and a third-party neutral.
The order approves payments to the plaintiffs that the court deemed commensurate with their claims. It also authorizes the payment of attorneys’ fees and expenses, as well as a service award to Representative Plaintiff, according to the terms of the Settlement Agreement.
The action is now dismissed with prejudice and without costs. The claims of the Representative Plaintiff and the other plaintiffs are released as set forth in the approved Settlement Agreement.