Feldman Legal Group Wins Settlement of $3.2 Million in Collective Action Case Against Verizon Connect Fleet USA LLC

    TAMPA, FL, September 27, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Feldman Legal Group, a Tampa-based employment law firm, obtained decisive victory for upwards of 158 present and former sales employees in a lawsuit involving Verizon Connect Fleet USA LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon Communications. The company violated overtime pay laws by failing to pay employees for all the overtime hours they worked, including working through one-hour meal breaks.

In a court order, Judge Mary Scriven of the Middle District of Florida approved a $3.2 million settlement between the parties for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Verizon Connect Fleet USA must pay individual settlement payments to all workers involved in the collective action case, in addition to all attorney's fees.

The original legal complaint identified many instances of employees' being denied overtime pay that they earned. Most employees affected were inside sales representatives, including business development representatives and sales partners.

Overtime pay is required to be paid by employers (companies) under state law and the federal wage law, called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for all non-exempt employees without the employees having to request or ask to be paid for all hours over 40 in each and every workweek. By law, all hourly paid employees are entitled to overtime pay at no less than time-and-a-half of the employee's regular rate of pay, and without delays.

Attorney Mitchell L. Feldman secured the settlement in this case that involved over 158 plaintiffs and began with three workers: Lauren Garnick, Tshacha Romeo and Corey Hanvey.

The lawsuit showed that Verizon Connect Fleet USA LLC had a de facto policy against employees' reporting all overtime hours they worked. The company also regularly denied the payment of overtime wages to employees who worked through some or all of their lunch hour.

In 2016, Verizon Communications purchased Fleetmatics Group, absorbing its 1,200 employees as well as some of that company's illegal overtime pay practices. These were the subject of another lawsuit litigated by Attorney Feldman, in which Fleetmatics reached a $2.9 million settlement on behalf of business development sales employees.

"It's a shame that Verizon Connect refused to pay these workers all of the overtime wages they earned. These employees dedicated themselves to the company by putting in hours above and beyond a usual workweek, and their extra time and effort goes unrecognized and unpaid," Feldman says.

Feldman Legal Group has a history of winning settlements for thousands of clients who were not paid for the overtime hours they worked.

Attorney Feldman says, "It's an unfortunate fact: too many employers break the law and refuse to pay overtime to dedicated, hard-working employees."

About Feldman Legal Group

With over two decades of experience in civil litigation, Feldman Legal Group has a proven record in obtaining significant settlements for clients. From their offices in Tampa and Atlanta, the law firm provides legal representation to people throughout Florida and Georgia. A staunch advocate of workers, their attorneys represent employees in cases involving wage and hour claims, whistleblowers, wrongful termination, workplace discrimination and other employment law matters. Feldman Legal Group has a long history of seeking justice for workers and protecting the rights of the injured.

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