Alaska Communications sued for overtime pay
Alaska Communications was recently slapped with a class action lawsuit by a former worker who claims she was wrongfully denied overtime pay for her time attendance. Laura Lee Peterson worked for the communications company, which is one of the largest in the state, for nearly eight years in marketing sales positions.
The suit claims Alaska Communications regularly misclassified workers under exemptions for which they did not qualify. Peterson says she never received pay for her overtime employee attendance even though she often worked more than 60 hours a week.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to pay all non-exempt workers minimum wage and premium overtime rates (one-and-a-half times the regular pay rate) for any hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek.
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development investigated the claim in November 2011 and found Peterson was entitled to overtime wages as a result of the misclassification, but the employer has yet to comply with the ruling.
Employers who want to avoid investigation by the Department of Labor and other expensive litigations can audit their payroll practices to ensure they are in line with the FLSA. If employers find gaps in their practices, they might find it beneficial to enlist the help of a human resources team that is familiar with state and federal laws.
The suit claims Alaska Communications regularly misclassified workers under exemptions for which they did not qualify. Peterson says she never received pay for her overtime employee attendance even though she often worked more than 60 hours a week.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers are required to pay all non-exempt workers minimum wage and premium overtime rates (one-and-a-half times the regular pay rate) for any hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek.
The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development investigated the claim in November 2011 and found Peterson was entitled to overtime wages as a result of the misclassification, but the employer has yet to comply with the ruling.
Employers who want to avoid investigation by the Department of Labor and other expensive litigations can audit their payroll practices to ensure they are in line with the FLSA. If employers find gaps in their practices, they might find it beneficial to enlist the help of a human resources team that is familiar with state and federal laws.
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