Case Summary
**Case Summary: Symczyk v. Genesis Healthcare, Docket No. 2605834**
**Court:** United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
**Decided:** 2013
**Facts:**
The case of Symczyk v. Genesis Healthcare centers around a former employee, Laura Symczyk, who filed a lawsuit against her employer, Genesis Healthcare, for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Symczyk alleged that she was not compensated for overtime wages that she had accrued while working. After she filed her claim, Genesis Healthcare offered Symczyk a settlement that would have provided her with the full amount of unpaid wages under the FLSA, however, this offer was made only to Symczyk personally, without addressing the potential claims of other employees.
**Issues:**
The primary legal issue at stake was whether Symczyk's individual claim was rendered moot by the employer's offer of full relief, which was made before any class certification had been filed. Additionally, the case raised questions regarding the applicability of collective action under the FLSA and the implications of mootness when a defendant offers complete satisfaction to a plaintiff.
**Holding:**
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Symczyk's individual claim was indeed rendered moot by the employer’s offer of full relief. The court concluded that once Genesis Healthcare extended a complete settlement offer, there was no case or controversy left to adjudicate, thereby stripping the court of its jurisdiction to hear the case. As such, the court did not reach the issue of whether Symczyk could represent a collective action on behalf of similarly situated employees.
**Conclusion:**
The decision in Symczyk v. Genesis Healthcare established significant precedent concerning the mootness of individual claims in the context of collective action lawsuits under the FLSA. The ruling emphasized the importance of addressing the potential claims of other employees in similar circumstances and the implications of an individual lawsuit being dismissed when a defendant offers the full relief sought by the plaintiff prior to collective action certification.
This case highlights the complexities involved in FLSA claims and the procedural nuances of collective actions, ultimately shaping the landscape of employment law and employee rights.