A former Dot Foods employee from Winchester has filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Mount Sterling-based food distributor, alleging the company failed to properly compensate hourly employees for all time worked.
The lawsuit was filed July 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield by Brenden Clanton. Clanton is represented by attorney Robi J. Baishnab of the Ohio employment law firm Nilges Draher LLC.
According to the complaint, Dot Foods violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, the Illinois Minimum Wage Law and the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act by allegedly editing, rounding or otherwise modifying employee time records in a way that resulted in unpaid wages and overtime. The lawsuit also alleges employees were not compensated for time spent putting on and removing required freezer suits before and after their shifts.
The complaint seeks to certify both a federal collective action and Illinois class actions on behalf of current and former hourly employees who may have been affected by the company’s pay practices. The suit seeks unpaid wages, overtime compensation, liquidated damages, statutory penalties, attorney’s fees and other relief permitted under state and federal law.
The allegations contained in the lawsuit have not been proven in court. Dot Foods had not filed a response to the complaint as of Wednesday, and the court has not yet ruled on whether the case will proceed as a class action.