A phlebotomist is accusing Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, of failure to pay employees overtime wages, according to court documents accessed by Becker's.
Bri'Ana Williams filed the 16-page lawsuit Sept. 28 in federal court as a proposed class and collective action.
Ms. Williams, who said she has been employed by Nationwide Children's as a phlebotomist since January, alleges that the hospital failed to pay her and other workers fully and properly for all overtime wages.
According to her lawsuit, this is "because the hospital required a daily meal break deduction to be taken, generally by deducting a meal break from their recorded time worked, even when [she] and other similarly situated employees were unable to take a fully uninterrupted meal break."
She alleges that she and other workers were required to have a daily meal break deducted from their hours worked, usually for 30 minutes, but that they often couldn't take a meal break, took a shortened one, or had their meal break interrupted with substantive responsibilities.
The lawsuit also says Nationwide Children's did not maintain a policy or procedure for workers to report that they missed a meal break, had a shortened one, or had their meal break interrupted.
Nationwide Children's declined Becker's request for comment, saying it is unable to do so on any ongoing litigation.
Ms. Williams seeks relief on behalf of current and former hourly, non-exempt employees.