Managers of AT&T's BellSouth will be allowed to pursue a class action lawsuit against the company for its overtime policy, a Georgia federal judge ruled. Field managers employed by BellSouth are suing the company for close to one billion dollars, claiming that the company has denied them overtime wages since 2007.
Bellsouth argued that the case should not proceed as a class action because the field managers have different duties, but attorneys say that two similar cases filed in 2009 and 2010 in Connecticut and California against AT&T and its subsidiaries set a precedent, which allow this case to proceed. The judge agreed, and the suit will continue despite Bellsouth's objections.
While some overtime violations are unintentional, there are many overtime scams some employers knowingly use in order to avoid paying overtime wages. Some companies intentionally misclassify their employees, or assign them job titles that lead them to believe their position makes them exempt from collecting overtime benefits when they are, in fact, eligible according to the duties they perform. If you suspect that you or a loved one has been wrongfully denied overtime pay, contact our overtime attorneys for a free case evaluation.