Michigan Unpaid Wage Lawyer – Food Processing Workers
Companies engaged in food processing, manufacturing, and other types of production often require employees to wear protective clothing and equipment. While this is intended to improve workplace safety and ensure the quality of the goods they produce, many employers fail to compensate hourly workers for time spent putting on (“donning”) and taking off (“doffing”) necessary coveralls, ear protection, safety glasses, steel toed boots, bump caps, and other gear.
Employers and Paying Wages
Some employers try to avoid paying wages and overtime by requiring production laborers to don their clothing and equipment at the beginning of their shifts, and doff the gear after their shifts have ended. Because hourly, non-exempt employees are usually paid only after clocking in and before clocking out, time devoted to pre-shift and post-shift donning and doffing is not paid.
For food processing workers, that unpaid time can be significant. In some cases, employees have been forced to arrive early and stay later to put in their required hours; this sometimes amounts to 40 minutes or more each day that often translates into overtime for which workers are not compensated in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
If you work in the food processing industry and believe that your employer has broken the law by failing to pay you the wages and overtime you deserve, it’s time for you to speak with a lawyer. The attorneys in Sommers Schwartz’s Employment Litigation Group have represented thousands of hourly workers in individual and class action lawsuits involving donning and doffing issues and other workplace abuses.
Please contact us today to learn how we can help.
We fight hard. And we win.
News & Case Alerts
Read related articles and learn about recently filed cases.
Our attorneys have been featured on local and national media outlets, including:
An Opposing Attorney Who Became a Client
I would like to give some recognition to Andy Dragovic. I first became acquainted with Mr. Dragovic in a professional manner when we represented opposing clients in a lawsuit. I recall being very impressed with how hard Mr. Dragovic fought for his client, and I happily recommended him as an…
I couldn’t have been more impressed!
Jason Thompson represented me in a gross negligence case, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with his professionalism and energy throughout the entire process.
Your advice is very valuable to me.
Just wanted to formally thank you for taking the time to discuss the area of class action. I wish you the best with everything. It has been a pleasure getting to know you and everyone at Sommers Schwartz.
You went above and beyond expectations.
Our business is very complex with the different manufacturers we deal with and the rebate programs associated with them, and we feel the time, effort and your timeliness in understanding the different aspects of our case helped us with a reasonable resolution.
I appreciate the team effort provided.
I would like you gentlemen to know that for those of us that have been violated and need legal assistance, we must often wait for justice in quiet desperation. As such, the words I used above “confidence and comfort” came only from you and your team.
I felt from the beginning that my best interests at were always at heart.
I felt that within a short period of time, they fully understood my case, and advised me as to the best possible courses to take with the best possible outcomes.
Our Clients Say It Best
