Many readers in Sacramento probably have AT&T as their cellular phone provider. It may interest such readers, then, to know that the telecom giant recently triumphed in a wage-and-hour dispute brought by some of its employees. The suit highlights an area of employment law that has become increasingly difficult to understand over the years.

About 200 front-line managers sued AT&T because they believed they should have been paid overtime for work they performed after their work-weeks exceeded 40 hours. But a jury in U.S. District Court said the supervisors had "discretion" that accompanied their titles as managers and so were exempt from the laws that required them to be paid time-and-a-half for any time worked past 40 hours.

Employees in several other states have sued AT&T over the same issue, but this was the first time the case was taken to court instead of being settled before trial.

Employment law observers have noted that the concept of who is exempt from wage-and-hour laws has gotten extremely complicated as our economy has become more and more service-based. Some say employment laws have not kept pace with that development, and of course, the outcome of every court case concerning these types of laws creates something new to consider, making the policy rather like Swiss Cheese.

It is for those reasons that many employers in Sacramento seek the advice of attorneys who practice employment and business law. These lawyers can advise employers on how to remain within the law and then assist them if they face claims that they did not do so.

Source: The Hartford Courant, "AT&T wins overtime lawsuit," Mara Lee, Oct. 27, 2011