In the case of Rosenblatt v. PRESSLER, FELT & WARSHAW, LLP, Scott Rosenblatt, an IT hardware technician, claimed that he was constantly required to work beyond his normal hours without overtime compensation from 2012 until 2017. Rosenblatt filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Pressler Felt & Warshaw (which is a law firm) in 2017 after he was terminated.
Rosenblatt claimed that Pressler violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the New Jersey Wage and Hour Law (NJWHL) by not providing overtime compensation. Rosenblatt further alleged that his employment termination was retaliation because he had complained about his wages. This would be a violation of the New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA).
A settlement was proposed, which included a payment of $115,241 to Rosenblatt. $72,000 went directly to Rosenblatt for the alleged overtime back wages and liquidated damages, while the remaining $43,241 went to his attorneys’ fees.
The court approved this settlement and dismissed it with prejudice (indicating that the case is closed and cannot be brought before the court again).
Key lessons from this case:
- The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA) protects employees from retaliation by employers for complaining about unpaid overtime wages.
- Employees and employers who are in dispute about unpaid overtime wages can opt for a settlement agreement to avoid further escalation.
- Settlement agreements should be reasonably fair to the employee while also complying with New Jersey laws.
If you want to know more about overtime regulations, read our guide on New Jersey Overtime Laws.
