Ohio Company Settles Employment Lawsuit

Cleveland OHA Cleveland manufacturing firm will pay $700,000 after a federal employment lawsuit alleged the firm violated employment laws by discriminating against women. Discrimination and overtime pay violations are two ways Ohio employers can wind up facing lawsuits alleging violations of Ohio labor laws and/or federal labor laws. Employees who face such tactics can potentially file an Ohio employment lawsuit against their employer.

According to a news release from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (4/30/13), Presrite Corporation will pay $700,000 and will offer jobs to at least 40 women as part of the settlement. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit alleging Presrite, which is a federal contractor that makes industrial parts, rejected female applicants in favor of males who were less qualified for the positions than the female applicants. Furthermore, at least one female testified she was subjected to harassment from her male coworkers.

“We are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with this defendant,” said EEOC General Counsel David Lopez. “Moving forward, qualified female applicants will be judged by their talents and skill and not simply passed over because of their gender, and women who were wrongfully denied positions will be compensated.”

As part of the settlement, Presrite must take action to prevent future discrimination. The action includes regular reporting to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on the number of males and females who apply for jobs with the company and are hired.

Discrimination based on sex is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The lawsuit was filed in 2011, and is EEOC v. Presrite Corporation, Case No. 1:11-cv-00260.

Sexual discrimination is not the only way employers can find themselves in legal trouble over how they treat employees. Lawsuits can also be filed where employees are misclassified as exempt from overtime and therefore not paid proper wages for overtime hours worked. Under federal law, employees must be paid overtime for more than 40 hours in a week unless the employee is exempted from overtime pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act requires nonexempt employees be paid overtime at one-and-one-half times their regular rate of pay.

Some employers, however, misclassify employees as exempt from overtime pay under administrative exemptions, thereby avoiding paying employees for overtime hours worked. Employees who are misclassified as exempt from overtime pay may be eligible to claim unpaid wages from their employer.