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skyrocketed over the past decade,
hitting record highs. According to
an analysis from the Federal Judicial Center, nearly 8,000 such
lawsuits were filed under the Fair
Labor Standards Act in the last
reporting year, after hovering
around 1,500 a year in the 1990s
and early-2000s.
Businesses often say this boom in
litigation comes courtesy of moneyhungry lawyers seeking big-dollar
settlements. But worker advocates
say the rise in lawsuits is because
employers game the system and
workers aren’t being paid what
they’re owed. Workers may also be
more sensitive to getting shorted on
their pay these days, given that a lot
of paychecks in low-wage industries
like retail haven’t kept up with the
cost of living.
In a statement to HuffPost, Dollar General said that its managers
have played “a critical role” in the
company’s success, and that their
status as salaried, “exempt” employees is appropriate. (The company declined to address individual
workers’ claims, citing litigation.)
“Based on the nature and importance of store manager responsibilities, Dollar General classifies
its store managers as full-time,
salaried employees who are eligi-
HUFFINGTON
10.06.13
ble for company-supported health
care coverage and a competitive
bonus system for the retail industry,” the company said.
Dollar General added that
off-the-clock work is “absolutely”
prohibited.
“Store managers are responsible for staffing and scheduling
at their stores,” the company said.
“They are provided with the tools
and training to ensure that their
stores’ business needs are met
and employees are paid in accordance with company policy and
the law.”
Dollar Tree didn’t respond to a
request for comment. In an email
to HuffPost, Family Dollar spokeswoman Bryn Winburn said the
company believes its managers are
“properly classified as exempt”
from the Fair Labor Standards Act.
“The number of hours worked
by Family Dollar store managers
varies due to many factors, including the skill and experience
of the specific manager,” Winburn
wrote. “Because store managers
are responsible for the entire operation of their stores, they are
also responsible for setting the
weekly schedule for the employees
in that store, including their own,
and in assuring that all employees
in their stores receive the appropriate breaks.”
Winburn noted that Family Dol-