A recent class action federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Arizona alleges that the company American Express is in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act, because employees were required to work "off the clock and through lunch breaks," according to TMCnet. The employees at American Express Travel Related Services, which is a subsidiary of American Express, say that the company intentionally failed to include time worked at the beginning and end of employee's shifts.
"Travel Related Services' pay policies don't allow call center employees to count as time worked things most workers would get paid to do...like talking to American Express' clients," employment lawyer Anne Regan told TMCnet. "They are clearly owed these unpaid wages."
Ms. Regan is just one employment lawyer that has been hired to represent these employees. The lawyers working on this case believe that there could be hundreds of employees around the country that have been affected by the American Express employee wage policies. Those who believe that they have had lost wages from working at American Express are encouraged to call lawyers at the Zimmerman Reed Law Firm in Phoenix or contact a Texas employment lawyer of their own.
The plaintiffs are seeking back pay and other damages, which have not been finalized, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. Christa Burkhalter, director of corporate affairs and communications for American Express told the Business Journal that the company now plans to "defend this case very vigorously."
Related Resources:
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Fair Labor Standards Act (LawBrain)
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Q&A: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FindLaw)
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Texas employment lawyer directory (FindLaw)
