Big companies being sued for cheating workers out of pay.

[dixiegrrrrl]

This seems to be a pattern.
DISH, BOA, and Corrections Corporation of America all being sued for:

failing to pay employees all earned wages and overtime and failing to accurately record all time worked pre-shift and post-shift. Examples of the alleged unlawful practices include requiring employees to work "off the clock" by not paying for pre-shift work such as logging into computer applications
and/or
these employees consistently work more than forty hours in a work week, but instead of paying overtime, BOA:
(i) gives them "comp time," (ii) tells them not to record the hours worked over forty, and/or (iii) lowers or "modifies" the tellers' recorded hours by eliminating any overtime hours. Also, the lawsuit alleges that BOA automatically deducts time for meal breaks; however, employees were routinely required to perform work during unpaid meal breaks (or were not able to take such breaks).
and/or
violated federal wage and hour laws by misclassifying its Assistant Shift Supervisors as exempt employees and consistently failing to accurately record all time worked. It further alleges that CCA wrongfully requires its Assistant Shift Supervisors to be present at work and perform work in excess of 40 hours in a work week and fails to pay any overtime compensation.
http://www.stuevesiegel.com/CM/CurrentCases/cca.asp

Behaviors that Wal-Mart has been sued for. Link above is to the firm that is suing all three companies.

[mediaman007]

1. The corporate need for money is like water: if there is an weakness, the corporation fills it.

[gratuitous]

2. Why are workers stifling job growth?

We could be at full employment tomorrow if workers didn't insist on getting paid. This is hurting small business! Aaaaaahhh!

[End Of The Road]

3. I wish they'd teach the basics of Labor Law in High Schools

Dump the "abstinence only" crap and spend the time on something useful.

Too many people don't know the difference between Exempt and Nonexempt status, let alone if their boss has misclassifed them on purpose to avoid paying overtime.

And in order to get a lawsuit going, the employees have to realize that they're being screwed and get a lawyer.

That's how many smaller businesses get away with this crap - the employees don't know their rights and don't turn them in.

[kath]

7. The other bs that runs rampant is misclassifying employees as independent contractors.

It's illegal, but it happens SOOO often. "Independent contractors" have no benefits, and are not eligible for unemployment benefits or workers' compensation.
Interestingly, even GOVERNMENT AGENCIES do this, not just private businesses.

[csziggy]

8. The businesses now running our schools would not like an educated work force!

I can remember when employers would take advantage of workers who could not read by getting them to sign waivers. Or of workers who could not do math by shorting them on hours and wages.

And frankly as a former small business owner, it would be good for BOTH sides to be knowledgeable - I was never sure I was following all the labor laws, even though those for farm laborers were much laxer than those for any other kind of workers. I tried to educate myself and to be fair to my employees, but it was such a complicated system I eventually just quit hiring and kept my business small enough that hubby and I could do all the work with occasional contracted labor to assist.

[laughingliberal]

4. K & R nt

[avaistheone1]

5. K&R

Only five recommends so far...aren't there more than 5 Dems on DU?

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. There are a variety of Dems here, I have found.

But rampant interest in labor and economics is a bit lacking.
Which is why I so much appreciate those who do bother to post in the Labor and Econ forums.