Who is a Class Member
The Sunrise Senior Living Finger Scan class action settlement includes “all current or former employees of Sunrise who worked at a facility in the State of Illinois and used the Kronos time clock finger-scanning option between November 14, 2012 and December 31, 2017.”
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Estimated Award
- $25 or $75 depending on your dates of employment
Proof of Purchase
- N/A
Claim Form
- N/A: No claim form is required. If you are a Class Member, the Settlement Administrator will send a check to your last known address. If you have moved, you can update your address on the settlement website. All change of address notifications must be received by February 1, 2019.
Sunrise Senior Living Finger Scan Settlement Notes
- Taylor v. Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc.
- Case No. 2017-CH-15152
- Pending in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
In November 2017, plaintiff Joanne Taylor filed this class action lawsuit alleging that Sunrise Senior Living Management violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) by unlawfully collecting, using, and storing employee’s sensitive biometric data
Sunrise owns and operates hundreds of senior living communities throughout the United States. Through its communities, Sunrise provides assisted living, personal care, independent living, Alzheimer’s and memory care, skilled nursing, and other care. There are approximately 18 Sunrise facilities in Illinois.
Under BIPA, an informed consent statute, it is illegal for a company to “collect, capture, purchase, receive through trade, or otherwise obtain a person’s or a customer’s biometric identifiers or biometric information”, unless it first:
- informs the subject . . . in writing that a biometric identifier or biometric information is being collected or stored;
- informs the subject . . . in writing of the specific purpose and length of term for which a biometric identifier or biometric information is being collected, stored, and used; and
- receives a written release executed by the subject of the biometric identifier or biometric information.
According to the complaint, when employees first begin their jobs at Sunrise, they are required to scan their fingerprint in its time clocks. That’s because Sunrise uses a biometric time tracking system that requires employees to use their fingerprint as a means of authentication, instead of key fobs or identification cards. While there are benefits to using finger scan time clocks in the workplace, there are also serious risks. Unlike key fobs or identification cards—which can be changed or replaced if stolen or compromised—fingerprints are unique, permanent biometric identifiers associated with the employee. This exposes employees to serious and irreversible privacy risks. For example, if a fingerprint database is hacked, breached, or otherwise exposed, employees have no means by which to prevent identity theft and unauthorized tracking.
Sunrise denies the claims and contends that it did not violate any laws. Complete details about the case and settlement are provided on the Sunrise Senior Living Finger Scan settlement website.
Class members who wish to object to or exclude themselves from the Sunrise Senior Living Finger Scan settlement must do so by January 18, 2019. Class members who wish to participate in the settlement do not need to do anything.
Important Dates
- 1/18/19: Objection or Exclusion Deadline
- 2/14/19: Final Hearing at 10:30 am CT* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
*Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check the settlement website at www.SunriseFingerScanSettlement.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: Taylor v. Sunrise, c/o Heffler Claims Group, PO Box 58044, Philadelphia, PA 19102-8044
Class Counsel
- Jay Edelson and J. Eli Wade-Scott of Edelson PC
- David Fish of Fish Law Firm
Settlement Website
- www.SunriseFingerScanSettlement.com