Sarah Block
Wed, 02/09/2022
On February 3, 2022, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced a $1.5 million fine on Family Dollar, which operates over 100 stores in the state, for failing to provide hundreds of employees with meal breaks. Specifically, Family Dollar repeatedly violated Massachusetts law, which provides employees with the right to at least a 30-minute meal break for every six hours worked in a calendar day, during which time the workers must be relieved of their duties and be permitted to leave the workplace. Massachusetts law also provides that any requirement to remain on store premises converts that break time to work time and constitutes a violation of the law.
This significantly monetary penalty is the result of a multi-year investigation revealing that on more than 3,900 instances Family Dollar failed to provide at least 30-minute meal breaks to over 600 employees and did not always permit these employees to leave the store during a break, even when they had punched out and were off-the-clock. These rampant violations allegedly stem from the company’s decision to cut payroll hours, which left its stores understaffed and precluded employees from taking breaks or leaving the premises.
Many state laws protect employees’ rights to meal and break time. Similarly, under federal and state law, employees who perform work during an otherwise unpaid meal break must be paid for that work time. If you or anyone you know believes you were not provided a proper meal break or have suffered from other types of wage theft, please do not hesitate to contact us through our website to obtain further information about your rights.
