Consumer Law

Warriors of the Workplace

By Joe Consumer

As if the Americans don?t have enough problems just finding jobs today, turns out when you get one, your problems may just be starting.  We?ve covered some of Walmart?s more despicable workplace antics before.  Now, the ?largest publicly traded U.S. sporting goods retailer? in the country, Dick?s Sporting Goods, will be required to pay up to $15 million to about 190,000 current and former employees to settle a Rochester New York class action and 22 related cases in other states.  This would be for violating ?wage and labor laws through practices such as requiring employees to work through their breaks or interrupting their breaks without paying them for the additional time worked, and requiring employees to work more than 40 hours in a week without paying them overtime.?  (The settlement's not a done deal yet ? the court must approve it.)

Dicks ?operates 437 Dick?s Sporting Goods stores in 42 states, as well as 79 Golf Galaxy stores in 29 states, according to its website.?

Meanwhile, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a federal lawsuit against Amtrak, saying that since 2001, Amtrak ??engaged in a continuous practice of suppressing? the wages of Sheila Davidson, a human resources manager assigned to its 30th Street Station in that city.?

Specifically, ?The EEOC said that between 2001 and 2006, when Davidson was a human resources regional director, Amtrak refused to pay her more than two male colleagues though she had a ?significantly heavier? workload and at least equal experience? and that ?the effects of this discrimination continued after Davidson took her current job, director of workforce planning, in 2006.?  And then, says the EEOC, Amtrak retaliated against her.

As Bob Marley put it, "The harder the battle the sweet of jah victory"!

Full post as published by ThePopTort on February 02, 2011 (boomark / email).