Garbage Men Denied Overtime Pay

Garbage men and garbage truck drivers who were wrongfully denied overtime compensation may be entitled to recover back pay and additional overtime damages.

Garbage men and women working in the waste management industry are among the employees most commonly denied overtime due to Fair Labor Standards Act violations. Although some garbage men and women are unintentionally denied overtime pay, most fall victim to illegal overtime practices, commonly referred to as overtime scams. Requiring garbage men or women to work off the clock, paying straight time to trash removal employees, and misclassifying waste management workers are the most common overtime scams utilized in the waste removal industry.

Working more than 40 hours a week as a garbage man or woman? You may be entitled to time-and-a-half pay for your overtime hours. Fill out our free, no obligation case review form today to receive a quick response as to whether you are eligible to file an overtime lawsuit to collect back pay.

Overtime Law in the Waste Management Industry

Under federal overtime law, employers are required to pay all “non-exempt” employees time-and-a-half compensation for each hour worked in excess of 40 during a single workweek. In other words, when an employee, such as a garbage man or woman, does not fall under a specific overtime exemption, most commonly reserved for administrative, executive or professional employees, their employer must pay them 1.5 times their regular rate for all overtime hours worked. When a non-exempt employee is wrongfully denied overtime pay, they may be eligible to file an overtime lawsuit to recover compensation for their employer’s violations.

Unpaid Overtime Lawsuits Involving Garbage Men and Women

In recent overtime litigation, a Massachusetts State Court approved a $7 million settlement in a class action overtime lawsuit filed on behalf of garbage truck drivers. The unpaid overtime lawsuit alleged that Waste Management of Massachusetts Inc. manipulated its prevailing wage payroll record to deny their garbage men and women the proper overtime pay. In 2008, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the waste management company utilized an illegal payroll method to establish the hourly rate which was used to calculate overtime pay and mandated that the company fund an independent audit of its payroll records.

After the audit was completed, the involved parties held a mediation session, which resulted in the $7 million dollar settlement that was eventually approved in June 2010. The agreement stated that more than 1200 garbage truck drivers under the employ of Waste Management of Massachusetts Inc. would receive, on average, more than 200% of what they were originally owed for their overtime hours.

Overtime Lawyers for Garbage Men and Women

Garbage truck drivers, garbage men and garbage women who were wrongfully denied overtime can file unpaid overtime lawsuits to recover financial compensation for their employer’s violations. Overtime lawsuits can award the plaintiff up to three years of back pay and an equal amount in liquidated damages. In other words, a garbage man who is awarded $5,000 in back pay in an overtime lawsuit may also be entitled to an additional $5,000 in liquidated damages.

Our overtime lawyers are available to provide an immediate case review to all garbage men and women who suspect they were wrongfully denied overtime pay. We are dedicated to protecting and defending the rights of garbage men and other employees who were wrongfully denied overtime pay. Do not hesitate to contact us today.