San Francisco, CA: An unpaid wages class action lawsuit has been filed against the Dollar General store by two employees in eastern Tennessee who allege the discount store made them work through lunch periods without pay, in violation of federal labor laws.
According to the lawsuit, this practice is not unusual at other Dollar General stores, including those in Missouri, South Carolina and Illinois.
Jennifer Peters and Rachel Buttry, both supervisors at the Dollar General store, claim in the lawsuit that they were forced to open registers, run returns and void items among other duties, despite the fact that the company employee handbook states that employees can be fired for working off the clock.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, claims these actions are in direct violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
According to their complaint, Buttry and Peters were "forced to perform work for defendant, on defendant's premises, in plain sight, during their unpaid meal breaks." Further, despite Dollar General executives, managers and other company agents being aware of the practice, nothing was done to stop it, the lawsuit states.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorney B.J. Wade teamed and Audet & Partners. The lawsuit seeks to represent Dollar General employees who held so-called "keyholder" positions in the past six years who were unpaid and asked to do work during lunch breaks.
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I worked for DG for 3 years, towards the end the manager quiet so I was made manager but still getting paid cashair wages, I had to go to the bank after my shift and I worked plenty open to close shifts. Im apart of this lawsuit I want to know how to get payment please get on contact with me.
clarkdenise200@gmail.com
Posted by Beverly Sanders
on
I worked for Dollar General for 5 yrs. and I started out as cashier and ended up as Store Manager, I have a lot to say, I worked numerous hrs without overtime pay, use vacation hrs to save payroll and worked off the clock. I would like to be involved in this lawsuit.
Posted by Connie
on
Hi,I'm a store manager for DG as we speak.What I have seen through the years I've been here is you work every day all day long because this company thinks the store manager don't have a life on the outside .This company is a million dollar Corporation you would think they would match the hours with the work load that comes in the stores ,why do that when us managers work 48 to 90 hours a week with no incentives for our hard work were human to. We should get paid anything over our required hours of 48.75. You could just call us free labor . Figure the math your work load is 200 , your budget hrs are 156 that's minus our 40 hrs that they put in for us,but only key in one hr for managers at payroll time.Thats the biggest reason why DG can't keep managers.tjey ask for to much for to little.For any DG stores to be successful in the business you need to give to ger all that works for DG.Honor the statement serving others t & As store managers that's not happening,They Also have taken the incentives away ,like shrink bonuses with that said you can still receive a quarterly bonus but you still working hard to get that with little hours to work with.They really need to stop & realize what they can do for there employees instead of losing them.Whats right is there biggest speech serving others.We all are entitled to get what we deserve & work hard for.
Posted by Bryan Salinas
on
I was a SM for DG and was just fired last week due to not chasing
A thief into the parking lot. The DM said we’ll youre just not a fit for us
Even though I work 60+ hours, and never take breaks and help run
Other stores. I will never work for this company again. They are a joke.
Posted by Brenda Reed
on
Hi my name is Brenda Reed I have worked for Dollar General for six and a half years I just got fired on Friday for leadership and I worked over 70 the 80 hours a week for this company day in and day out and I was a store manager had no lunches had no brakes I open to close and this is the way I get treated I got hurt last year they made me take my vacation and use it for my pay instead of them paying me because I got hurt on the job and had workman's comp made me miss doctor's appointments in my therapist if you can call me please let me know
Posted by Karla Shipman
on
I was hired as a key holder and not long after was promoted to asst manager..... I worked off the clock all the time and yes my time was changed to 1015 everytime I closed the store and I went to the bank for the manager on my off days and when I was scheduled to close that night. I would go in early and stay late to help with freight. I almost never took breaks or lunches but got clocked out for them by my manager. I also would also do payroll and other manager duties. I believe I am entitled to unpaid wages.
Posted by Kevine
on
Put it application, manager hired me under the table, had me doing the work that the other employees wouldn't do, for way less pay.
Posted by Peggy M Kanneman
on
When you work at dollar general everybody needs to take the etips test for selling liquor. I had to take this test at home which was anywhere from 3 to 5 hours. They never paid us for taking these tests at home or the hours to do it.
Posted by Marianne Allen
on
I work any where from 50 to 70 hours a week
Schedule vacation and call in on my vacation to do what was a 30 min walk threw but it took the district manager over 6 hours to walk then the Sunday of that weekend I was call back from a trip I had to leave late for and had to close the store but my vacation hours were taken for that week
I was told to turn in my vacation hours to make extra payroll to cover my store due to payroll being so low
I had to open and close the store all day by my self.
Even if we had bad storm when every other store was close I was told I had to stay open.
Once there was a storm that took the roof part off
I and I was instructed to put bucket under the light to catch water
Hand book give you 48 hours to get truck work i would get my truck sometime Thursday and was wrote up and fired on a Friday due to I didn't work hard enough
My inventory. Was mess up so after viewing me they redid it and I never got my max bonus.
And the inventory came out the same as when I was there....
Posted by Tanya Jester
on
As a store manager, you are paid for a 40hr work week. You have to schedule yourself a minum of 48hrs. You do not get paid for those 8hrs and if somebody calls out, and you do not have an extra person to cover, you are going in and working more hrs for free. Its nothing to work 60 plus hrs a week.
Posted by Iamanonomys
on
I have been with the company since Oct 17 and now it is Sept 18, I have worked through countless breaks without getting paid. Just last night after being there 8 hrs. I took my so called lunch break, I was interrupted as usual to do a return. After doing a return a customer came over to the register and asked if I was opening, I replied " that no I would not be opening because I was on break", I then went back outside to finish my break. About 5 minutes later the cashier came to tell me that the DM was on the phone, explaining to me that the women that was in there was a District Manager from another district and that I had been rude to her because I went back to break. I was then told that I should have clocked back in and completed her transaction. This coming from a district manager.
I would not have been paid for the break if I had clocked back in, I know this from doing it in the past. I want to join this Law suit.
Posted by Amanda Jackson
on
I think they need to start hiring more people because I just recently started my job at Dollar general on June 19th and don't get me wrong but I love working at Dollar general but I was told by two manager that they wanted me to become assistance mananger but one top manager called on of the other Dollar general manager that I worked for before I transferred to this one and asked how I would do if they promoted me and she told him that I can't do it that I wouldn't be able to handle it so that pissed me off because I have never called for any days off or called out I'm always on time, somewhat covering for people losing time with my husband and child it's effecting me life outside of work they talk bad about my husband because he is the only one that takes me to work and picks me up while he work from 12am to 8am. I don't get meal breaks at all only one smoke break but that's it. They were going to hire someone but I don't know what happened but my main question is why the hell do they need 3or 4 managers for Dollar general. Plus I don't get any days off if I'm lucky I get one day off a week. But as I'm reading everyone's comments about Dollar general I have never seen so much complaints.
Posted by Crystal Watson
on
This is a frequent thing for DG. If one ever takes a position over cashier they are subject to interrupted breaks, and forced to remain on the property with responsibility for all issues inside that are above the scope of a cashier's duties. Never fails. I can't count how many times the closing duties took longer than what the GM had scheduled, and my time was cut back to 10:15. That doesn't count the times that if we were unable to clock in on time....We didn't get an adjustment.
Posted by Crystal Watson
on
This is a frequent thing for DG. If one ever takes a position over cashier they are subject to interrupted breaks, and forced to remain on the property with responsibility for all issues inside that are above the scope of a cashier's duties. Never fails.
Posted by Gilberto Rojo
on
Always have to stay at the site during lunch breaks. And you never get undisturbed breaks.
Posted by Desiree
on
I currently work for DG in the Dallas Texas area as an assistant store manager and my store is always busy. It feels like a blessing just to get a full 30 min. break without having to do a key turn or getting on register to do a return or just back up the other cashier do to customer flow. And I have got to say it is the biggist pain knowing that I'm not getting paid for the work i have to do while off the clock. But to DG customers come first and employees are replaceable.
Posted by Tim Bickerstaff
on
I worked for Dollar General for 3 years. Started out as a cashier and ended as a store Manager. When I was promoted to store manager I was running a store in East Tenn. It was a 3 million dollar store. I had a great Dm and great managers around me. I loved it. Unfortunately I had family issues and had to move back to Minnesota. I took over a store that was under staffed and impacted. The previous manager had just been fired. I worked 70+ hours a week for 6 months. Once I had the store turned around and profitable...(#2 in district) and had my customer connect numbers in the top 10 in the region my Dm started firing my employees. Oh she had reasons. Not good or legal ones though. Once she gutted my store she moved in a asst. that she wanted to originally run my store. Since I had 2 asst. I asked for a week off after having turned the store around. It was refused. I asked for 3 days in a row off it was refused. Last straw was when my Dm announced one of my asst. wouldn't be around much longer so she quit along with one of my cashiers. Which would have left me to run the store open to close for a entire weekend. I turned in my keys and quit. I applied for unemployment. Was denied. I applied for other jobs and they are told I was fired when they check. Great company....I am already part of this law suit for the 15 hours a week I worked off the clock as a key and asst. Just want to tell people. DON'T work for DG
Posted by Christy
on
I am a store manager for DG and I am to work tomorrow 12/31/17 with no break at all. I was told to work shifts by myself if I have to to keep my hours were they want them to be. I emailed my DM yesterday and still no reponce about my meal break
Posted by Tammy
on
I have so many reasons to be involved with this. Please contact me.
Posted by D
on
I've worked for Dollar General for 12 Yrs.and almost every lunch break I've lost due to having to turn a key never get a whole 30 Min. break but i get docked for it. I'm the last 3 Yrs we have been going thru not having store mgrs.so I've had to run them without help mostly..having to borrow from other stores is almost impossible and I do not get paid a store mgr.salary but I am the store mgr when there isn't one, working long hrs working by myself I'm doing it now and it's affecting my health and when I do call or message my DM he hardly responds is there anything I can do about this? I am overworked and bout ready to drop this is ridiculous especially with a company that keeps building stores and not enough workers to work them!!
Posted by Pateicia Walton Enmili
on
I transferred to a new location. After my transfer the store manager was to train in class. She ended up being terminated for missing class and not returning to the store because she was sick with diabetes. I ran the store working 98 hours a week with no lunch, and no time off for several months.The district manager lied to the corporation about whom was running the store. It was me. When a store manager arrived I was asked to train this manager to take the store position. I did so. I trained her to do her position, as she also received help from other store managers. I asked for my vacation time to use it. Because she was new they denied me taking time off. We were still under staffed. Constantly could not maintain a full staff. Forcing other employees to work harder to compensate for the lack of staff. As an Assistant manager your not suppose to run the store alone ever, corporate policy. But I did for several months.First manager was school smart and told no experience they brought in a new manager, I trained her as well. I also believe the manager was adding lunch times in for us, even though their was not enough staff to take a lunch. I came in December for a second shift and was told HR was terminating me, told her okay. I gave her the keys, came home wrote the CEO of the corporation. He had an investigator check into my story. Investigator tells me I quit. I told her no HR said they were terminating me, but I didn't quit. I worked from October 2015 till December 22, 2016 with zero vacation time used. When I asked for time off my District manager refused to allow the time off. The job cost me my first babysitter due to working 98 hour weeks. and no time off. I can provide the schedules I worked as I kept them. I feel I would be included in this lawsuit as well.
Posted by Christina Payne
on
I worked for dollar general in ga for 3 years from 2013 to 2016 the manager who hired me was about 21 she was white i was overlooked for promotions due to her being obsessed with dating blacks. Then finally she quit by 2014 i had a new manager dec of 2014 i was up for a promotiin to assistant manager when they found out i was pregnant i was told i couldnt get my promotion until i returned from maternity leave because they would have to pay me for my leave so at 33 wks pregnant i had no choice but to take my leave because aa hard as they was making me work i started having pregnancy complications from not being able to take breaks and lunches so i could eat because we were expected to work through them so i was having problems with my sugar levels dropping i was scared if i didnt take leave i was going to lose my baby or we both werent going to make it i was out of work 8 weeks with no pay because i was denied my promotion soon as i returned i was promoted my the hours on my checks were never what i kept track of because the managers would go to send time in and take hours we worked of so they wouldnt go over their allowed schedule hours because if they did they got fussed at by the district manager because the district managers wouldnt recieve their bonuses i asked the district manager about the managers taking our worked hours he told me he would investigate it to my knowledge no investigation was ever done so i called corperate and they told me that it was the district managers responsibility. To handle those issues its sad because this company treats employees as only a number instead of part of their team i never had trouvle with anxiety. Until i worked for them i gave them 110 percent only to be just one of their casualties and i no im not the only one they did this to how do i become part of this lawsuit to help stand up for people like me
Posted by April
on
I was a manager for12 yrs with this company.I understand the horror stories.I was terminated after doing what I was told to do.it is unfair I was denied unemployment because I broke company policy and my do would not back me up,he threw me under the bus.so if I can get any legal help or help someone else I would be glad to wither way. And according to my DM we are suppose to be on call24/7 as a store manager
Posted by TAMMIE MARTIN
on
I WAS A STORE MANAGER FOR 3 YEARS AND ALSO WORKED 70 HOURS A WEEK AND ONLY GOT PAID FOR 40 HOURS A WEEK
ALSO I WAS A STORE MANAGER ASSISTANT AND WORKED 50 HOURS A WEEK AND ONLY GOT PAID FOR 40 HOURS A WEEK
THIS HAPPENED IN ELECTRA, TEXAS AND VERNON,TEXAS
I KNOW I AM ELIGIBLE IN THIS LAWSUIT, PLEASE CONTACT ME BY EMAIL
Posted by carol williams robnett
on
worked 38 hours setting u new store, paystub shows 7,75! Not showing 31 hours of work time!!
Posted by Germaine Coker
on
I have been working for dollar general since December 2015 and I'm a lead now I was an assistant manager I stepped down to a lead because I was told that I had to work when the manager wasn't going to be in the store and we have other leads working also if I needed to be off and she was off I was told I couldn't be off also I have been there 2yrs and some months and on my hour lunch break I have to clock out but still work because I always work with a cashier so there for I have to help the cashier if they get a line I have to give a key turn if they need one yet and still I'm suppose to be on my break and this happens all the time. Even on a 30 min break it's the same thing which Dollar general is taking out of my pay for a hour lunch break and I'm not getting a hour break because I have to help the cashier because they don't have keys and can't get there own change or do there own key turns.and this has been going on since I have been there maybe a couple of times I have worked it was a key with me but the majority of the 2yrs and some months its been with a cashier.i work at store number 14458 in Columbus Ga and just found out that I should be paid for this. I Still work for dollar General and for the pay its not worth it they don't pay enough for the work they want done and its never appreciated we always have new people because people always quit.
Posted by David
on
I've been with dollar general 1 1/2 months after being away from retail for 9 years. I am a dollar general store manager working between 60 - 70 hours per week. Low payroll hours to operate a store that is open from 8am - 10pm 7 days a week. I do take one day off, don't care if DG likes it or not.
I spend 75% of my time running the cash register, stocking shelves, changing Plano grams, setting weekly ads. This company goes thru more employees than anyone I've ever seen.
I've kept my resume out and an looking to get away. I really should have paid more attention to the articles about this company, #4 worst to work for. If there was another class action lawsuit, I would be right in ti.
Posted by Angel Hamilton
on
I recently quit dollar General as an assistant manager after almost 5 years of working off the clock sometimes til early hours of the morning. One time in order to keep my boss from losing her job I worked from 7 am to 4pm. Clocked out and then worked an additional off the clock shift from 4pm to 7am. Countless hours off the clock to keep the store recovered and seasonal put out. Many of my hour lunches disrupted to the point I only ended up with 5 or 10 minutes of my break left. Called at home countless times to resolve problems on my off time and off days. Even went to the store in my pjs sick once to resolve a customer issue. The end of the line was this past weekend when I was told I had to bring my doctor's excuse in to my manager within 15 minutes even though I wasn't released to return to work until Monday. I took it and my keys, sick and was treated like a lowlife even though over the past 5 years I may have called in sick a handful of times. I've went from 130 pounds to 108 due to the stress, overworked, and lack of proper uninterrupted lunches due me according to dg policy. If I was entitled to the hours worked off the clock I could probably take a year long furlow to regain my health.
Posted by Pamela davis
on
Hi I was recently employed by dollar general I worked there approximately 2 weeks. Each week in was paid 160.00 under the table I received no pay stubs or anything. I have messages stating she was trying to get in contact to pay me. I have contacted dollar general hr and i was never on their payroll or have permission to do a lay out. Please help
Posted by Amelia Farver
on
I worked for Dollar General in Mississippi would like paperwork for class action I was told if I resigned I would not get paid for vacation I also had to stay on premises for breaks.
Posted by Shelly L Stapleton
on
per comment Posted by
Kelly Hahn
on February 12, 2016
While I was in Wisconsin as a key holder if we were the only key holder on premises we were not required to punch out for breaks. After relocating to Iowa I discovered the rules there are the same as yours. Our computer systems are not great and wonderful. Before running "end of day" reports one must punch out. Taking into consideration the glitches we deal with I figured that most key holders are probably losing about a week's pay a year.
Posted by Tina Coyer
on
Working employee's off the clock seems to be a Dollar General Standard. Let's do some math. There are 12,423 Stores. Each store employee's roughly 6 (6x12,423=74,538) This is a rough estimate. So let's say that each employee is expect to work through there lunch (30 min) and manager keys a lunch break in that equals 18,634.5 hours. now let say each employee makes min wage (we know they make more) 7.25 x 18,634.5 = 135,100. dollars. WOW!!!. I know that the employee's of Dollar General are working more then 30 min. off the clock. I was told to do my training (cbl's) on my day off it took 11 hours. Every night at closing I was told to clock out at 10:15pm and continue working that was 45 free mins. a day. I only worked for the for 3 weeks and worked 19 hours off the clock. I quit because I refuse to work for a corporation that feeds off their employee's for profit. I want you dollar store employees to know that you are lining the pockets of the share holders and that is WRONG!!! I don't plan on suing them for 19 hours of free labor but I do plan on stopping them from continue to practice their business this way.
Posted by Kelly Hahn
on
Upon my first promotion to a key position, I was told by my manager that I was to stay on store premises and be available during my, "off the clock" lunch. I am expected to clock in for any help the cashier or a customer may need. A large portion of my lunch is spent walking from the break room to the cash register to see what the cashier needs. The question has been answered before Ive had a chance to get through the 4 step clock-in process. even if I need to clock in; Dollar General uses the 15 min. round off process. So, if I clock in at 8 minutes after the hour, The time clock rounds that off to 15 minutes after the hour. even if it takes up to 14 minutes to take care of the transaction; when I clock back out 1-14 minutes later, the time clock rounds that to 15 minutes past the hour. So basically, most of the time your "off the clock" lunch is interrupted, your working for free.
Otherwise, according to policy. employees are required to take 30 minutes, uninterrupted. So every time your lunch is interrupted, you are to start the 30 minutes over. This results in me loosing hours. If you have a new cashier, it can take all night to get an uninterrupted 30 minute lunch.
This is the practice of ALL Dollar Generals in my area.
Posted by JACKIE SVENSON
on
I was fired by my DM for leaving building to go to bank and then sitting in my car to eat. I was manager for 4 years and she was our DM for about 3 months. She insisted I go to bank every day before 2, then used it to fire me because she was angry over over not getting her bonus. I received my unemployment after they asked for 2 hearings because she was exposed for unfairly firing me. Dollar general wouldn't even talk to me about it. I worked an average 55 plus hours for 4 years and was quickly dismissed and ignored by this company. The shoddy way they treat there managers is appalling.
Posted by Allison Ivey
on
I was a manager and an assistant manager at Dollar General, District 258. Many times before the manager took hours off my travel time, lunch, etc. that arrangements were made. I was fired by what I consider a conspiracy. A person called me and told me all the keys to punch in the register, regarding MyVanilla and another pre-paid, and the store lost money. They knew all the register buttons and codes.
I was fired for this inside job. A week later, Dollar General offered me a position back at close to minimum wage. They are doing this to eliminate what they consider high dollar employees (above $9.00/hour).
If I can help, let me know.
Posted by April
on
I also worked for this Company as an ASM, I didn't get meal breaks and I also worked sis days a week sometimes opening and closing the store.
Posted by Latoya Reed
on
I believe I can be a part of this lawsuit. I just found out my boss was putting in meal breaks in the system when me and other key holders did not take a meal break. I suppose to had 38.5 hrs last week and ended up with 34.5 because she put in meal breaks that wasn't suppose to be.
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