This case concluded with a settlement for $3,200,000.00 for FLSA Collective action wage and hour cases for Inside Sales Representatives and Business Development Representatives. In Re: Lauren Garnick, Tshacha Romeo, and Corey Hanvey, et al; US District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division, Case No. 8:20-cv-1474-MSS-TGW.
COULD YOU BE PART OF THE VERIZON CONNECT CASE?
Have you worked overtime for Verizon Connect in the past three years? Did Verizon Connect somehow prevent you from getting full payment for the overtime, or prevent you from taking your paid breaks for lunch? You may be eligible to join this collective action case.
The lawsuit seeks to recover overtime wages for all present and former Inside Sales Reps, including but not limited to all Business Development Representatives (BDRs), for all hours worked over 40 in each and every workweek in the past 3 years at rates of time and one half the employee’s regular rates of pay (which must include the value of all commissions/bonuses earned). The lawsuit also seeks to recover double the sum of the wages owed to all persons as liquidated damages, plus payment of all attorney’s fees and costs and expenses.
DETAILS ABOUT THE VERIZON CONNECT CASE
CASE: Lauren Garnick and Tshacha Romeo V. VERIZON CONNECT FLEET USA, LLC FLSA Collective Action for Recovery of Overtime Wages, US District Court, Middle District Of Florida, Case No: 8:20-cv-01474
The lawsuit alleges a plan and scheme by Verizon Connect to evade and avoid paying required overtime wages to all inside sales reps, including BDRs, working for the company in the preceding 3 years to the present. The lawsuit alleges that the Company had a de facto policy against employees reporting all overtime hours, and a policy and practice of permitting employees to suffer to work off the clock for overtime hours, both of which would be unlawful.
Working Through Lunch
The lawsuit also alleges that employees routinely worked during the 1 hour provided lunch break which would cause each and every person to incur compensable, unpaid overtime wages, and that the company did not provide any real means to report and claim these overtime hours, up to 5 hours per week, and other compensable overtime time minutes and hours.
Unrecorded Work Hours
Plaintiffs Garnick and Romeo also allege they incurred work hours unreported and unpaid coming in work early, staying late, and handling phone calls and emails outside of the office.
Company with History of Unlawful Pay Practices
Verizon Connect, as successor and purchaser of Fleetmatics, has inherited a company with past similar unlawful pay practices against BDR by failing to pay overtime wages as seen in the case of Gillard, Stramiello and Pate v. Fleetmatics USA LLC, Case no. 8:16-cv-00081, settled for $2.1 million dollars in November 2016.
Our Investigation for this Case
As part of our continuing investigation into the alleged FLSA wage violations by Verizon Connect and gather evidence in support of our position and corroborate facts about its pay practices, we are in need of speaking to as many present and former BDRs and all other inside sales reps. We seek to determine if the positions and job duties/requirements are similar for all the various job titles used, as well to investigate and determine if the alleged unlawful pay practice at issue here is pervasive and long standing at Verizon Connect.
Are you someone who has valuable information as a witness to the alleged unlawful pay practices? If so, contact an attorney at Feldman Legal Group.
**The FLSA also makes it unlawful to retaliate or discriminate against any person or employee who makes a claim for overtime wages, including participating in any class or collective action to recover overtime wages.
