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One to Keep An Eye On: Wal-Mart v. Braun, United States Supreme Court


As with many labor and employment law related cases that are being litigated around the country, there are always a few that stand out.  This is one to keep an eye on.


Facts:  Employees claimed that Wal-Mart promised paid rest and meal breaks, but then allegedly forced the employees to miss breaks or work through them, and also work off the clock.  A class of 187,979 employees from Wal-Mart stores in the Pennsylvania area brought suit and and alleged wage and hour violations.

Looking Back:  A jury awarded the class a judgment for $187,648,589.00.  On appeal, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the jury's award on the grounds that liability had been established by evidence of class-wide violations.  The Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that the employees had established damages through "data and analysis from Wal-Mart's own business records, including time clock and cashier log in data."

Current Status:  Wal-Mart currently has a petition for certiorari pending before the United States Supreme Court.

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