PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh-based PNC Bank and PNC Financial Services Group recently settled a year-long overtime pay lawsuit with hundreds of current and former branch assistant managers over allegations the workers were intentionally misclassified as overtime exempt. A federal District Court judge signed off on the multimillion dollar settlement that will cover the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees in addition to providing the hard-earned pay to which they are entitled.
About 600 plaintiffs will share part of the $6 million overtime pay lawsuit settlement, which should amount to an average of $2,000 per plaintiff after attorneys’ fees are deducted to take care of litigation and court costs. The plaintiffs’ victory comes on the heels of another similar overtime pay lawsuit filed by bankers for Wells Fargo alleging thousands of employees had to work overtime to meet rigorous sales goals.
The suit, filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims the plaintiffs routinely worked over 40 hours per week and sometimes as many as 60 hours performing various tasks as “assistant managers.” These workers were classified as overtime-exempt, meaning they were paid a weekly salary and did not earn overtime.
However, the plaintiffs allege that their duties were not consistent with those expected from salaried employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) or Illinois wage laws and were in fact closer to those of the average bank teller. This case is a prime example of common practices employed by unscrupulous employers trying to keep payroll down and increase the company’s bottom line.
FLSA Manager Overtime Pay Laws
Under the FLSA, employers cannot simply designate employees as “managers” in name only in order to pay them an overtime-exempt salary. Under the FLSA, “managers” and other overtime-exempt classes of workers must perform certain duties like hiring, firing, and setting pay rates for subordinates.
While many workers assume their employers follow the letter of the law, the fact is too many companies try to use federal wage laws to engage in wage theft. Employees designated as “managers” and “assistant managers” not performing duties consistent with their job titles should strongly consider speaking to an experienced overtime pay attorney about their case.
Assistant Manager 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.