UNPAID OVERTIME AT ALL TIME HIGH
Working Overtime and Overtime Violations on the Rise
According to The Department of Labor, in fiscal year 2008, more than 197,000 employees received a total of $140.2 million in minimum wage and overtime back wages as a result of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations. The most frequently cited violation was the payment of straight-time pay for overtime-hours worked.
Overtime—and overtime lawsuits-- is on the rise for a number of reasons. Historically, both employment and overtime have increased as the US economy emerged from recessions. As well, as the US has moved toward a service economy, blue collar and white collar workers are not so clearly defined, causing many workers to be misclassified as exempt. Employers are facing rising healthcare and other benefit costs and to counter their expenses, demanding more hours fremployees is more cost -effective than hiring new workers. And some companies avoid paying overtime altogether.