LITTLE ROCK — A Texarkana-based call center recently agreed to settle claims with plaintiffs in an unpaid overtime lawsuit alleging the defendant forced employees to work off the clock and failed to pay employees for all their wages due. The settlement brings to a close a pair of suits, one brought back in July 2015 and the other in July 2016, and should hopefully result in the defendant amending its business practices and paying workers all their hard earned pay in the future.
The settlement comes just a short time after a judge in U.S. District Court for the District of East Texas signed a conditional order certifying the lawsuits as class action claims, meaning individuals employed by the defendant during a certain period of time could be eligible to join the suit. The two sides met in October 2016 to mediate the dispute and appear to have ultimately come to a resolution from those meetings.
The suits claimed the defendant, Hartke-Hanks, required workers at its call center to begin work 15 minutes before officially clocking in and continuing to work after clocking out. According to the complaint, worker hours were only tracked once they were logged into the system but were on the job performing work duties while their computers booted up.
Furthermore, the overtime pay lawsuit alleges the plaintiffs were forced to work through their unpaid meal breaks on a routine basis. The workers claim the company’s payroll system automatically clocked them out for lunch even if they were on the phone with a customer.
As a result, the plaintiffs claim they were not paid all of their regular and overtime hours. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, plaintiffs in unpaid overtime lawsuits can recover up to three years of unpaid wages, interest, penalties, and attorney’s fees to help pay for the cost of litigation. Workers with questions about whether their employer is compliant with state and federal wage laws should contact an experienced overtime pay attorney to discuss their case.
Overtime pay lawsuits
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.