In another governing case, Murphy v. Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. relating to meal breaks, California employees benefited yet again when the courts determined that a missed meal break is a wage and not a penalty. This case was a very important decision for employees because a wage under California labor law meal break rules can be collected by employees for 3 years under the California labor code and sometimes 4 years under the California unfair competition statute, whereas a penalty is only collectable for 1 year.