News Notes: Mervyn’s Sued For $111 Million For Unpaid Overtime

Employees who work at Mervyn’s Department Store have filed two lawsuits accusing the retail chain of coercing them into working up to 80 hours a week without overtime. One lawsuit, filed on behalf of 1,300 hourly “team coordinators,” claims they were forced to work “off the clock” through lunch and breaks and were not paid for their time. The other case involves about 450 salaried workers Mervyn’s classified as exempt supervisors. These employees say they spent their time primarily on non-supervisory duties like stocking shelves and ringing up sales. They claim they are therefore not exempt and are entitled to overtime. The two suits seek $111 million in back wages plus punitive damages. Mervyn’s could not be reached for comment. Also, Albertson’s markets has just been sued for allegedly pressuring employees to work unpaid overtime.