ADP has prevailed before California’s high court, which struck a decisive blow for payroll companies in finding that employees could not bring claims for their employers’ failure to pay wages under California labor laws.

The California Supreme Court’s unanimous decision on Feb. 7 reverses a lower appellate court that had allowed plaintiff Sharmalee Goonewardene to proceed with third-party breach-of-contract claims, and claims of negligence and negligent misrepresentation, against ADP.