Calif. jury orders Wal-Mart to pay $172 mln

[zoiks]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT - news) must pay $172 million in damages and compensation to about 116,000 current and former employees for denying meal breaks, a California jury ruled on Thursday.

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Concluding a class-action court challenge against the world's biggest retailer, the Alameda County, California jury held that Wal-Mart had broken a state law on breaks for meals.

The ruling applies only to current and former Wal-Mart employees in California, said Chris Lebsock, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

The four plaintiffs who launched the lawsuit in 2001 had claimed Wal-Mart had failed to pay hourly employees for missed or interrupted meal breaks.

The jury ruled Wal-Mart must pay $57.2 million in compensation and $115 million in punitive damages, said Jessica Grant, another lawyer for the plaintiffs.

"What was compelling for the jury was that we put a lot of evidence before them of memos by Wal-Mart from seven years ago that concluded they had been breaking the law," said Grant. "Instead of taking steps to solve the problem, Wal-Mart concealed it."

Wal-Mart faces similar lawsuits in over 30 states, said Grant, whose firm is pressing two of the court challenges, one in Maryland and the other in Massachusetts, on behalf of 80,000 class-action plaintiffs.

Wal-Mart was not immediately available for comment

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[HamburgerBoy]

I'm pretty sure that this is an R.

 

[Gunslinger08]

After lawyer fees, that means each employee will get about $10.

 

[miri]

Nice!

I used to work at walmart in the electronics section. In order to get a 15 min break I had to call a cashier to take my spot. That was easier said then done. One day I had diarrhea and really needed a cashier to take my spot. Like usual it was very hard to get one. Noone was able to come take my spot, so I had a choice of going in my pants or goto the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and got written up for it.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: miri
Nice!

I used to work at walmart in the electronics section. In order to get a 15 min break I had to call a cashier to take my spot. That was easier said then done. One day I had diarrhea and really needed a cashier to take my spot. Like usual it was very hard to get one. Noone was able to come take my spot, so I had a choice of going in my pants or goto the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and got written up for it.

That really sucks. I hope you get something out of it.

 

[miri]

Originally posted by: zoiks

Originally posted by: miri
Nice!

I used to work at walmart in the electronics section. In order to get a 15 min break I had to call a cashier to take my spot. That was easier said then done. One day I had diarrhea and really needed a cashier to take my spot. Like usual it was very hard to get one. Noone was able to come take my spot, so I had a choice of going in my pants or goto the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and got written up for it.

That really sucks. I hope you get something out of it.

Actually that wasnt the bad part of the job.

I had to lift 27" TVs up and down top shelfs. They had a large ladder to do this instead of a rising platform like Target uses. Since I am small 5'8 120lbs, the constant pressure of carrying 100lb TVs up and down ladders on my knees screwed one up. This was gradual pain and I thought it would go away. I was 20 at the time so I didnt know the seriousness of gradual pressure on my knees. After I left walmart my right knee was so bad I couldnt run anymore or even jog.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I just hope the employees do get some compensation out of it.

 

[Jediab]

Originally posted by: joshsquall
After lawyer fees, that means each employee will get about $10.

I think that it is also a taxable income so after that it's $2.75