In the case of Devaney v. Zucchini Gold, LLC, three former employees filed a lawsuit against their employer, Zucchini Gold (Zucchini). The former employees claimed that they were not compensated for their overtime hours. The former employees worked as servers and cooks at Rice Barn, operated by Zucchini, and allegedly routinely worked more than 40 hours a week. Besides failing to pay overtime wages, Zucchini had also allegedly failed to keep proper records of their employees’ hours worked.
Zucchini argued that the former employees were not entitled to overtime pay because they were exempt from the FLSA’s overtime requirements. Zucchini also argued that the former employees were not entitled to overtime pay under the Massachusetts Wage Act as well because the Rice Barn was not a “retail establishment.”
The case went to trial, and the jury decided to favor the former employees. The jury awarded the former employees their overtime back wages and liquidated damages.
Zucchini appealed this verdict, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the verdict. The Supreme Judicial Court held that the plaintiffs were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA. The court found that the plaintiffs were not exempt from the FLSA’s overtime requirements because they were not “executive, administrative, or professional” employees. The court also determined that the Rice Barn was a “retail establishment” for purposes of the Massachusetts Wage Act and that the plaintiffs were, therefore, entitled to overtime pay under that statute as well.
Key lessons from this case:
- Employers need to properly and accurately maintain employees’ records to avoid legal disputes.
- Employees have the right to seek legal recourse for any unpaid overtime wages.
- Employees and employers need to know their federal and state labor laws to avoid misinterpreting their rights.
If you want to know more about overtime regulations, read our guide on Massachusetts Overtime Laws.
