The overtime case against Air Methods Corporation, the air medical helicopter operator that provides emergency air transport to over 100,000 patients every year, has been settled pending the courts approval. The class action lawsuit had accused the company of denying its clinical employees, such as flight nurses and flight paramedics, overtime when they worked over forty hours per week. According to the complaint, the company’s clinical employees worked well over 48 hours per week and their overtime wages were not properly calculated. The clinical employees were able to reach a $5 million deal with Air Methods Corp. to settle the dispute for unpaid wages.
Clinical employees of Air Methods Corp. were obligated to work over 40 hours per week in order to be on-call 24/7, complete mandatory training, attend public relations events and other additional activities. Their overtime hours were then failed to be calculated correctly when Air Methods Corp. allegedly unlawfully imposed “sleep time” deductions under the Fair Labor Standards Act. More than 500 clinical employees, employed by the company from March 2012 and the courts preliminary approval date, will stand to benefit from this overtime settlement.
Paying its employees in accordance with the law is not always a top priority for some companies. If you find yourself working long hours and your paychecks seems to be off, it may be beneficial to have an employment attorney review your paystubs. Employers often take advantage of the fact that workers are unaware that they’re entitled to time and a half either by paying a portion of it or avoid paying it altogether. Call Fitapelli & Schaffer, LLP for a free consultation today to see if you may have a claim for unpaid overtime. You can reach us at (212)300-0375 for confidential consultation or by visiting our website for additional information.