East Hanover, NJ: Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC) has agreed to py $99 million to settle a nationwide wage and hour class action brought by 7000 of the company's sales reps who allege NPC reps weren't paid overtime.
The case has been working its way through the courts since 2006, and stems from claims that the sales reps don't qualify as "outside sales" employees which would make them exempt from overtime pay. This issue has been the source of several wage and hour class actions brought by pharma sales reps from different companies who have alleged that Fair Labor Standards Act exemptions don't apply to them.
