Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has recently settled 63 wage- and hour-abuse class action lawsuits across the country. This settlement ends a long legal battle that has extended for several years.
Each settlement will still need to be approved by the courts. The total amount to be paid in each settlement will be determined by the number of claims filed by class members. Wal-Mart will pay at least $352 million to their current and former employees, and the total can potentially reach as much $640 million.
These lawsuits have been filed due to widespread abuse of employees at the hands of the Wal-Mart Corporation. The company repeatedly forced many of their employees to work through rest breaks and meal breaks, failed to properly compensate workers for overtime, and failed to pay them for all hours worked.
The plaintiffs accused Wal-Mart of an unethical practice called “time-shaving,” where they would chop off minutes of time from employees’ paychecks. By doing so, the company reduced their payroll by millions of dollars.
As part of the settlement agreement, Wal-Mart will have to implement electronic monitoring systems to document their compliance with wage laws.
Unfortunately, Wal-Mart is not the only major corporation to try and cheat their employees in order to pad their bank accounts. Many companies are guilty of similar wage- and hour-abuse practices. Wal-Mart is simply the most recent to be held accountable for their deplorable actions.
If you have been victim of wage- and hour-abuse in the Denver, Colorado area, please contact the law office of Burg, Simpson, Eldredge, Hersh, & Jardine, P.C. today to schedule an initial consultation.
