Many employers mislabelling workers as managers to avoid paying overtime

New evidence shows that many employers are mislabelling rank-and-file workers as managers to avoid paying them overtime

For four years beginning in 2014, Tiffany Palliser worked at Panera Bread in South Florida, making salads and operating the register for shifts that began at 5 am. Palliser estimates that she worked at least 50 hours a week on average. But she says she did not receive overtime pay.

The reason?

Panera officially considered her a manager and paid her an annual salary rather than on an hourly basis. Palliser said she was often told that “this is what you signed up for” by becoming an assistant manager.

Federal law requires employers to pay time-and-a-half overtime to hourly workers after 40 hours,