Blaine Eastcott is the owner of the Rockreation Sports Climbing Centers. He was a longtime company employee until he was able to buy the company’s California locations in 2015. Blaine prided himself on keeping the work environment flexible and energetic. But in January 2018, a short-term employee decided to use Rockreation’s flexible culture against it. The employee claimed they were not getting a lunch break on time and were missing a break or two. They did not bring this issue to Blaine. Instead, they took it to an attorney. Thanks to a flexible schedule and PAGA, Blaine’s business was under threat. He’d spent tens of thousands of dollars to defend himself. The trial attorneys were requesting hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of that. The livelihoods of dozens of his employees were put at risk, and these same employees were denied the flexibility that they previously enjoyed on the job. The lawsuit has also deterred Blaine from opening up other locations and creating additional jobs throughout California.