Employees of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) have sued the Charlotte, NC-based bank over allegedly failing to pay workers for overtime and other wages.
The lawsuit, filed in Kansas City, KS federal court, will consolidate 12 similar lawsuits on behalf of employees in California, Florida, Kansas, Texas and Washington. The suit is hoping to acquire nationwide class-action status on behalf of Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) retail branch and call center employees during the last three years.
George Hanson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, believes that the case may eventually cover more than 180,000 employees, based on information that Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) provided. Hanson noted that the suit could lead to a recovery of “hundreds of millions” of wages under the assumption that the average employee was deprived of $1,000 to $2,000 in pay.
The 44-page complaint said that Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) requires its employees to work in excess of eight-hours per day or 40 hours per week, yet fails to pay employees for both overtime and for all straight time worked. The complaint also said that Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC) has required its retail and call center employees to work during unpaid breaks and has failed to provide appropriate rest breaks.
“Bank of America enjoys millions of dollars in ill-gained profits at the expense of its hourly employees,” violating either the federal Fair Labor Standards Act or various state labor laws, the complaint said.
