Unpaid Wages Lawsuit Filed Against Defenders Inc. in U.S. District Court

A class action unpaid wages lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Mississippi on March 27, 2017. The three plaintiffs involved in this case are Chester McCoy, Benjamin Causey, and DeMarcus Haile.

They are requesting a jury trial to decide outcome of complaints against Defenders Inc., known as Protect Your Home, as well as Home Defender, which is known as True Home Defender.

The plaintiffs are filing this class action unpaid wages lawsuit with respect to alleged violations of the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

What is a FLSA Class Action Unpaid Wages Lawsuit?

The FLSA was passed in 1938 and established laws governing the record-keeping and paying of employees. Although some of these laws have been updated, the FLSA is still in full force and effect.  Here are the basics:

• The establishment of a minimum wage – where a state/city minimum wage is also established, the employee can expect to be paid the higher minimum.
• The establishment of overtime pay – provided employee is not exempt from this, he/she must be paid 1 ½ times their hourly rate for any hours worked over 40 in each week.
• The establishment of child labor laws – provisions to deter work situations which are dangerous to a child’s well-being, by interfering with education, nutrition, exercise, play, and access to clean air and water.
• The establishment of record-keeping standards – requires employers to maintain good records regarding all hours an employee works and pay records.
• The establishment of a standard for identifying hours worked – states that hours worked are defined by all hours that an employee is required to remain on the premises of a business.

What are the Complaints in the Class Action Unpaid Wages Lawsuit?

The three plaintiffs, all residents of the State of Mississippi, allege that the defendants have failed to pay their contracted home security system installers their full wages. The home security installers work extensive hours over and above 40 hours in a week.

The contractors perform duties that can take up to 80 hours in a week, but average 55. According to the plaintiffs, they and other installers like them were never paid for this overtime work at 1 ½ times their hourly wage.

McCoy, Causey and Haile also allege that each home security installer must put in 10-20 hours’ worth of travel time to get from the main company office to each job site. These hours have not been compensated by the defendants and are considered an “off-the-clock” part of the job, the plaintiffs claim.

Finally, the three plaintiffs state that there were many meetings which the defendants required them and other employees to attend.

Daily and weekly staff meetings were held that cumulatively could take up 6.5 to 7 hours per week. The former employees claim that they were never paid for those hours, although the meetings were a necessary part of maintaining their jobs.

Do You Wish to Join a Class Action Unpaid Wages Lawsuit?

The plaintiffs in this case seek to represent all home security installers or other current and former employees of the defendants that feel they have been denied proper compensation under FLSA.

If you feel you have had your wages shorted by your own employer, take a moment to contact our wage and hour attorneys to learn more.

This Unpaid Wages Lawsuit is Chester McCoy, et al. v. Defenders Inc., et al., Case No. 3:17-cv-00207-DCB-LRA in the United States District Court for the District of Mississippi, Jackson Division.

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If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.

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