Tyson Foods Inc. must continue defending against the majority of a proposed class action lawsuit alleging wage and hour violations at one of its processing plants. A federal court recently ruled that a worker plausibly alleged that interrupted meal breaks and automatic time deductions resulted in unpaid wages, allowing several key claims to move forward.
According to the lawsuit, workers were expected to take 30-minute meal breaks, but those breaks were frequently interrupted by supervisors for work-related issues. Despite these interruptions, the company allegedly continued to automatically deduct the full meal period from employees’ pay. The court found that these allegations were detailed enough to support claims for unpaid wages, including minimum wage and overtime violations. If employees are not fully relieved of their duties during a meal break, that time may be compensable under the law.
The court also recognized that these unpaid minutes can add up. When interrupted break time is deducted from pay, it can reduce a worker’s overall wages and potentially push their total hours over 40 in a workweek without proper overtime compensation. While the court dismissed certain claims, including a rest break allegation due to lack of detail, the core wage claims will proceed against Tyson.
Cases like this highlight a common issue in hourly workplaces. Automatic meal break deductions are only lawful if employees actually receive uninterrupted breaks. When employers fail to ensure workers are fully relieved of duties, they may be violating wage and hour laws.
Fitapelli & Schaffer represents workers nationwide in wage and hour matters, including unpaid wage and overtime claims. If you believe your employer deducted time for breaks you did not fully receive or failed to pay you for all hours worked, contact us for a free and confidential consultation. You may be entitled to compensation.