Court Applies Hospital Overtime Exemption and Dismisses State Law Claims in Hospital Class Action

In a significant victory for Massachusetts healthcare employers, on December 20, 2010, the Massachusetts federal court applied the state overtime exemption available to hospitals, nursing homes, and certain other healthcare employers, and dismissed all 13 state wage-law claims in Cavallaro v.UMass Memorial Health Care. Plaintiffs in the case, a class action filed on behalf of 13,000 current and former employees of UMass Healthcare and its subsidiaries, claimed the hospital did not compensate them for time worked: (1) during meal breaks that were automatically deducted from wages; (2) before and after scheduled shifts; and (3) time spent in training sessions. To learn more about the Cavallaro decision and its implications for employers, please continue reading at Littler's Healthcare Employment Counsel blog.

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Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.