Wage dispute at the Indiana Supreme Court

On Behalf of | Mar 12, 2012 | Wage And Hour Laws |

A wage and hour pay disparity dispute concerning hospital workers was taken all of the way to the Indiana Supreme Court. The dispute came down to payment of workers required to put in 40 hours per week as compared to workers that were required to work 37.5 hours. Such a disparity in wages had been going on for approximately 20-years.

Because of such a disparity, a class action lawsuit was filed with the state’s highest court. Though judgment was in favor of the class, the amount of compensation that was due to the workers has gradually been carved away by a Court of Appeals decision that has now been affirmed by the Supreme Court. However, the final amount has not yet been determined as the case has been remanded to an Indiana Superior Court to make a ruling on the exact figure.

The above dispute involves a variety of definitions concerning merit pay and professional versus hourly workers. It also requires an understanding of the contractual terms that are included in the employment contracts for government workers. Finally, it requires understanding the policies behind legislation that is being passed on behalf of workers.

All this basically is saying that wage and hour disputes in Indiana are extremely complex – especially in light that such a dispute involves state government employees. Such disputes involve a mixture of federal, state and local regulations that are often quite difficult to understand.

Clarifying what all of these laws represent would likely require attorneys that work in the area of wage and hour disputes.

Source: pal-item.com, “Indiana Supreme Court cuts split-pay judgment for Richmond State Hospital Workers,” Feb. 16, 2012

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