A group of past and present Publix employees, including at least one in the Chattanooga area and two in Georgia, have filed suit against the Florida-based grocery chain alleging they have been regularly compelled to work overtime without compensation.
The suit alleges that assistant department managers and department managers, who were paid by the hour, have consistently been required to do various tasks either before clocking in or after clocking out, as well as to answer texts from colleagues after work and during unpaid lunch breaks.
In the filing, made in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, attorneys asked for class-action status to include any Publix worker in a similar situation.
Officials of Publix did not respond to requests for comment.