What Employee Overtime Pay Laws Apply to Domino’s Pizza?

Popular Restaurants could Face More Unpaid Wages Lawsuits If They Do Not Comply with FLSA

Updated on Author: Sergei Lemberg

Updated on Author: Sergei Lemberg

What Employee Overtime Pay Laws Apply to Domino’s Pizza

Many of the Domino’s Pizza employees fall under the non-exempt category of employment and MUST be paid overtime wages according to the guidelines laid out in the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA). The FLSA sets the overtime rate for non-exempt employees at time and one-half their standard rate of pay for any time worked over 40 hours in a single week.

The FLSA regulations do not apply to “administrative” or “professional” employees due to exemptions preventing specific categories of employees from receiving overtime pay.

Exemptions are not based entirely on one’s job title, however. Whether or not an employee should receive overtime pay is calculated by the hours worked, the rate of pay, the job duties, and even the job description.

It’s always a good idea to speak with an attorney with experience in overtime pay laws due to issues with additional state laws governing overtime pay. These laws sometimes overlap federal laws and further complicate or contradict the FLSA.

What is Domino’s Pizza?

Founded by Tom Monaghan near Ann Arbor, Michigan, Domino’s Pizza, Inc. (no simply branded as Domino’s) is an American pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960. Now, boasting over 13,000 locations worldwide, as of February 2018 the chain became the largest pizza seller worldwide in terms of sales. Domino’s is internationally recognized for its iconic red and blue trade dress bearing a sigil resembling the playing domino with three dots, representing the three original locations in Michigan. As expected, Domino’s serves a variety of pizzas, as well as non-pizza products including chicken wings, apple pies, lasagna, and pasta. Currently, Domino’s generates almost $2.5 billion in revenue and is internationally regarded by pizza enthusiasts and entrepreneurs alike.

Can Domino’s Pizza Employees Earn Overtime Wages?

Read more about Wage Theft here

Numerous non-exempt Domino’s Pizza employees may be required to start before their shifts or even work after their shifts finish off the clock. It is not uncommon for employees to work double shifts as well. Because of this, if many Domino’s Pizza employees exceed 40 working hours in a single week, they should receive overtime pay.

Employers have been known to illegally misclassify positions to avoid paying overtime. For instance, Domino’s Pizza shift or location managers may have been labeled “managers” with the goal of marking them exempt from overtime pay. However, these employees are in fact non-exempt because of the nature of their job duties.

Often companies label employees as managers even though they do not fill vital roles for the business. The FLSA dictates that “managers” must have specific abilities, for instance, hiring or firing employees, making schedules, or completing other tasks that are essential to the running of the business. Typically these employees do not perform these duties and are instead only labeled as managers for employers to save money by avoiding paying overtime.

Another unlawful practice that the Domino’s Pizza may perform is having employees clock in before a shift or asking them to stay after a shift without compensating them. This practice of manipulating time cards to keep payroll costs down is a violation of the FLSA and can result in a lawsuit.

How Can a FLSA Lawyer Help You

An experienced lawyer can analyze your case and see if you are entitled to lost overtime wages from Domino’s Pizza by evaluating how state and federal laws apply to your situation.

Does Domino’s Pizza Have to Pay Overtime Wages to Employees?

See our Overtime Pay Checklist here

For the most part, Domino’s Pizza must pay overtime to non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours in a week as long as they are not excluded by the FLSA. However, these exemptions become more complicated by some states that have additional laws governing them.

If you feel like you have been denied overtime wages, then it is in your best interest to consult an attorney with FLSA experience and knowledge of state overtime laws.

Are There Other Overtime Pay Lawsuits Involving Domino’s Pizza?

Here are a few examples from the many previous lawsuits that have been issued against other employers for failing to pay overtime wages:

  • Justia lists at least 50 lawsuits related to FLSA violations against Domino’s Pizza since 2007
  • Most notably, in 2014 delivery workers at several locally owned NY Domino’s received a $1.3 million settlement for FLSA violations.

Also, see: Have you been the victim of workplace sexual harassment?

If you feel as though Domino’s Pizza or any another employer has denied you overtime wages, you could have a case. Please get in touch with the Lemberg Law legal team. Complete our form for a FREE case evaluation, or call 844-685-9200 NOW. Lemberg Law will evaluate your case as see if you are eligible to receive lost overtime wages as a non-exempt employee.

Sergei Lemberg

About the Author:

Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."

See more posts from Sergei Lemberg
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

Leave a Reply or Comment

Write a comment below to share online. Or, instead you can to our legal team.

Please select your star rating.

Briefly describe your experience Briefly describe your experience

What’s your name? What’s your name?

What’s your phone number? Please enter a valid phone number

Want to know if you could sue? Get a free legal evaluation from Lemberg Law?

Get Your No-Obligation
Case Evaluation

Send a secure message to our legal team.

What’s your name? What’s your name?
What’s your email address? What’s your email address?
What’s your phone number? What’s your phone number?
Briefly describe the problem Briefly describe the problem
Confidentiality Guarantee: We keep your information completely confidential and will not send you spam or sell your information.
By submitting above, I agree to the privacy policy and terms and consent to be contacted by an agent via phone call or text message at the phone number(s) listed above, including wireless number(s).