AT&T faces overtime employee attendance lawsuit

A class action suit involving 200 AT&T front-line managers in Connecticut is scheduled to go to trial later this month, according to the Hartford Courant. The managers allege that the company unfairly exempted them from the overtime provisions set by the Fair Labor Standards Act and argue that they are owed compensation for employee attendance that exceeded the number of hours in a normal working week.

Typically, those in managerial positions are exempted from FLSA time and attendance regulations. However, the managers argue that they don't meet the criteria because their primary duty is not managerial in nature and they are not permitted to hire and fire those they supervise.

"If the jury finds that they are entitled to overtime and hourly, the company will be hard-pressed to change that description without looking as if they are seeking to evade a liability verdict," Steven Wittels, who is representing the plaintiffs, told the news source.

Earlier this year, AT&T's Northern California division faced a similar class action lawsuit after it was accused of violating the state's labor code by misclassifying at-home virtual call center workers.