NEW YORK , NY — M&T Bank Corp. recently agreed to a settlement in a class action unpaid overtime lawsuit to resolve claims that the company violated various provisions of federal labor and wage laws, including failure to pay overtime wages to workers. As part of the resolution, the Buffalo, New York-based bank will pay a combined $2.5 million in back pay, liquidated damages, and attorneys fees to 240 current and former IT workers but will not be required to admit any liability for the alleged violations.
According to the class action unpaid overtime lawsuit, filed in July 2014 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, M&T Bank violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) when it failed to pay workers one and a half times their individual average hourly wages when working above the 40-hour per week overtime threshold. The employees provided technical support and troubleshooting for computer systems used by the bank but were classified as computer engineers by M&T as a means to avoid paying these workers all their due wages.
Under the FLSA, only certain types of workers are “overtime exempt” and can be paid a flat salary regardless of how many hours the individual puts in during their work week. These workers include certain types of professionals and executives. Oftentimes, companies take liberties with their interpretations of these very narrow exemptions in federal wage and labor laws in order to increase their bottom line at the expense of hard working employees.
Fortunately, the FLSA gives wage theft victims the legal right to hire an experienced unpaid overtime attorney to represent their legal rights, hold companies accountable for their actions, and recover all their due wages. The law gives workers the right to recover up to three years of unpaid wages for intentional violations, liquidated damages equal to back pay, and attorneys fees to cover the cost of litigating the matter. In certain circumstances, courts may certify claims as collective actions to allow other similarly situated workers to join the lawsuit and recover compensation together.
IT Worker Unpaid Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you believe 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.