Amazon Workers Settle FLSA Lawsuit

Workers at Murfreeboro’s Amazon facility who had filed suit against the company last month based on unpaid time spent on security screenings have recently accepted a settlement offer from the employer. The employer had forced employees at the facility to complete security screenings after workers had clocked out. These security screenings, sometimes lasting between 10-15 mintues, were used to prevent theft from the facility. Some Amazon employees were spending approximately 45 minutes each week on the required screenings without being paid. Obviously, this amount of unpaid time can add up to a significant amount of time spent on the job without being paid. This amount can also affect the amount of overtime pay that a worker is owed depending on the amount of time worked each week.

The employees of the Amazon facility had alleged that Amazon had violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by not paying the workers for their time spent during the security screenings. The FLSA is a federal statute that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, and other requirements for employees across the country.

The lawsuit had been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The suit settled fairly quickly. The workers were offered settlements in the form of payments ranging from $252 to $5,808 depending on how long each worker had been employed at the facility.

Unfortunately, these types of cases are more prevalent than most people realize. If you believe that you have been working without being paid according to FLSA, be sure to contact one of our Tennessee employment lawyers. We would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.