Wawa Loses Lawsuit, Must Pay Employees $1.4M in Overtime Pay

A federal Judge has ruled that Wawa must pay $1.4M to settle a lawsuit that claimed the convenience store chain short-changed over 300 assistant managers out of overtime and wages.

A federal class action suit accused Wawa of failing to pay overtime to certain employees who worked more than 40 hours a week as required by federal and state laws.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the complaint states that Wawa paid the assistant general managers on a salary basis exempt from overtime, even though their duties were similar to those of non-exempt, hourly paid workers.

“As a retailer operating over 720 stores throughout the country, [Wawa] knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that the [Fair Labor Standards Act] required it to pay employees primarily performing non-exempt duties an overtime premium for hours worked in excess of 40 per workweek,” the complaint said.

One of the named plaintiffs claimed he worked 55-to 60-hour weeks without receiving overtime. Wawa employees Anthony Gervasio, of Burlington County, and Michael Dinse, of Ocean County, were part of a federal class action suit.

Each worker will receive, on average, $86.74 for each week worked, according to the court filings. A handful of workers who brought the case will receive an additional $5,000 each.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer