One of the most drawn out lawsuits was against Albertsons grocery stores. Over 7,000 employees of the chain waited more than a decade to settle their lawsuit which will see the employees share $53.3 million. Some employees will receive as much as $28,000 after their lawsuit claimed they were forced to work "off the clock", that they were not paid for work performed, and that some were improperly classified as exempt from overtime pay and therefore not properly compensated for hours worked.
Albertsons was bought last year by SuperValu, which agreed to the settlement. The lawsuits were filed between March 1996 and October 1997 in ten states, although the majority of claims came from employees working at Albertsons in California. Of the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit, five did not settle and will pursue their own separate legal actions.
![unpaid overtime](/images/overtime-waitress.jpg)
READ MORE LEGAL NEWS
According to the lawsuit the officers were required to work before and after regular shifts and to work through meal periods without being properly compensated, which violates the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In addition to putting on and taking off protective gear, the officers were required to prepare for court appearances, complete arrest and investigation reports, and complete other required tasks. The suit is seeking reimbursement retroactive to four years from the filing of the lawsuit.
Lawsuits have also been filed against the city of Los Angeles and the city of San Luis Obispo on behalf of police officers who claim they were not paid for overtime work.