Employees Win Multimillion Dollar Decision against Wal-Mart

By Nathan Abbott

Published on October 16, 2006

In the suit, lead plaintiff Dolores Hummel claimed that she regularly had to work during rest breaks and after store hours, and estimated that she worked between eight and 12 unpaid hours each month. Many employees testified that they were pressured to cut meals short, skip breaks, and stay late. Two workers claimed they were locked in the store after their shifts and forced to restock shelves.

Hummel accused Wal-Mart of implementing a system that encouraged off-the-clock work for its hourly employees. There have been more than 70 similar suits filed against Wal-Mart, including one that resulted in a $172.3 million December verdict in California. Another pending suit in Colorado alleges a sweatshop mentality permeates the company.

Wal-Mart plans to appeal the decision, claiming that they require employees to take breaks and do not ignore complaints. In a statement, the company said that any manager who encourages or even tolerates off-the-clock work is subject to discipline up to and including termination.

An attorney for the plaintiffs said that he will seek an additional $62 million in damages, saying that the company acted in bad faith.

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