Sommers Schwartz attorneys Matthew L. Turner and Jason J. Thompson secured a jury verdict in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan in a class action alleging Fair Labor Standards Act violations against Sara Lee (now known as Hillshire Brands). The matter involved claims that production workers were required to put on or “don” protective gear at the beginning of their shifts and remove or “doff” the gear after their shifts ended, but were not paid for the time spent conducting these tasks. The jury in the Grand Rapids, Michigan federal courtroom determined that Sara Lee violated federal wage and hour law provisions, and also found that its violation of the law was willful, meaning that the 26 hourly employees who took part in the class action are entitled to recover additional damages.