California Labor Commissioner Cites University and Contractors

The California Labor Commissioner’s Office cited Pepperdine University and four janitorial contractors after an investigation reportedly found violations of state janitorial registration laws.

The labor commissioner says Pepperdine University, located in Los Angeles County, hired janitorial companies that were not properly registered with the state.

The commissioner fined the entities $80,000 in total penalties.

The university was fined $40,000 for contracting with unregistered employers, with each contractor also receiving a $10,000 citation. The citations were issued under Labor Code section 1432, which requires janitorial employers to register annually with the state.

The violations were discovered following a referral from the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund, a watchdog organization that monitors practices in the janitorial industry.

Investigators reportedly found that although Pepperdine previously used registered janitorial services, the university later switched to contractors that were not in compliance with the state’s registration program, which is intended to enforce labor protections and prevent exploitation within the industry.

The four cited companies operated in both California and out of state, which included locations in Tujunga, Torrance, Agoura Hills, and Knoxville, Tennessee.