CHICAGO — Former Dunkin’ Donuts workers have reportedly filed a lawsuit against a franchise owner and his payroll manager, claiming they manipulated timesheets for hundreds of workers and forced them to pay for register shortages.
The class action complaint was filed May 4 in federal court in Chicago.
The workers, nearly one hundred current and former employees, are named as plaintiffs in the federal overtime wage lawsuit. The lead plaintiff is a former shift supervisor.
The lead plaintiff appears to have intimate knowledge of how the alleged overtime wage theft took place throughout the years. According to the lawsuit, the defendant relied on a stream of short term employees unwilling to stand up for themselves to suppress overtime wages.
Allegations against the defendant include manipulating work logs, forcing employees to run work-related errands off the clock and making deductions for cash register shortages and calling it a “cash advancement repayment.”
Several workers were slapped with banking fees when their paychecks did not clear because of accounting mishaps by their employer, the lawsuit alleges.
Workers in the overtime wage lawsuit reportedly seek back pay and an unspecified amount of damages as compensation for their losses.
Perhaps most importantly, their attorneys seek to send a message to unscrupulous employers who often target low wage earners who are oftentimes too intimidated to stand up to their company for their hard earned paycheck.
State and Federal Overtime Pay Laws
Workers across the country are protected by both their own state’s overtime wage laws, as well as the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
Depending on the circumstances, state laws may be more robust than federal regulations and employees may be able to recover more under the state’s overtime wage regulations.
Often times, employers may classify employees as exempt from overtime under the FLSA in an attempt to avoid making overtime payments. The FLSA has a narrowly defined class of employees which are exempt from overtime wages and clearly states what sorts of duties are allowed to be performed by these workers.
Under federal and state overtime laws, employees harmed by their employer’s willingness to skirt overtime payments may be able to recover years of back pay, attorneys’ fees, and other damages. In these situations, having the right overtime lawsuit attorney on your side can help make a difference.
Overtime Pay Lawsuit Attorneys
If you feel that you and and other employees have a valid claim under FLSA and believe that your wage rights are being violated, call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page. Our experienced and dedicated team of overtime pay lawsuit attorneys will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action.
Strict time deadlines apply to filing overtime pay lawsuits so please contact our office at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.