Google Pays California, Workers Largest PAGA-Only Settlement

Google Inc. workers and the state of California will share a $27 million settlement that ends litigation accusing the Silicon Valley giant of muzzling workers.

Judge Ethan Schulman of the San Francisco Superior Court approved the settlement in the lawsuit by former and current employees alleging Google and staffing agency Adecco USA Inc. barred them from disclosing wage information, reporting safety and discrimination problems, and even writing novels.

The workers sued under the California Private Attorneys General Act, which allows employees to step into the state’s shoes and sue for labor violations. They alleged restraints of competition, whistleblowing, and ...