Metters v. Ralphs Grocery Co

In Metters v. Ralphs Grocery Co. (2008) 161 Cal.App.4th 696, defendant Ralphs Grocery Co. moved to compel arbitration claiming the employee had entered into a binding arbitration agreement when he filled out a dispute resolution form. (Metters, supra, 161 Cal.App.4th at p. 698.) However, the dispute form failed to warn the employee that he was agreeing to binding arbitration. The dispute form, which was titled notice of dispute & request for resolution, "did not alert the employee he was agreeing to anything, let alone arbitration." (Id. at pp. 702-703.) Metters concluded substantial evidence supported the trial court's finding that there was no valid arbitration agreement. (Id. at p. 704.)