Regions, Fifth Third Bank face class action allegations over unpaid wages at call centers

By Top Class Actions | October 21, 2026

Category: Labor & Employment

Fifth Third Bank location sign. — (Photo Credit: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock)

Unpaid wages class action lawsuit overview:

Who: Two former call center employees filed separate class action lawsuits against Fifth Third Bancorp and Regions Bank.
Why: The plaintiffs claim the banks did not pay call center workers for computer log-in time.
Where: The class action lawsuits were filed in Ohio and Alabama federal courts.
How to get help: If you worked in California and were not properly paid for all hours worked, you may qualify for an unpaid wages lawsuit investigation.

A new unpaid wages class action lawsuit accuses Fifth Third Bank of failing to pay hourly call center workers for time spent preparing to take calls.

A former Fifth Third customer service representative (CSR) filed the lawsuit on behalf of a nationwide class. She claims workers at the bank had to be call-ready when shifts began but could not clock in early.

Before each shift, workers allegedly had to boot up their computers, connect to the bank’s secure network using cell phone verification and open several programs, including Microsoft Teams and a customer database. The plaintiff says this off-the-clock work took 10 to 15 minutes every shift.

Workers also allegedly returned three to five minutes early from unpaid lunch breaks to log back in. Those not ready when breaks ended were considered “out of adherence” and could face discipline.

The plaintiff claims workers lost 13 to 20 minutes of unpaid wages every day.

“Defendant’s management was aware that the plaintiff and other CSRs performed this off-the-clock work, but permitted and even rewarded it through the defendant’s schedule adherence metrics,” the class action lawsuit says.

She wants to represent a nationwide class and a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective, a group of workers who opt in to federal wage claims, of “all current and former similarly situated CSRs who worked for [Fifth Third Bank] at any time during the past three years.”

Fifth Third is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and operates more than 1,000 branches across 12 states.

Regions Bank faces similar unpaid wages claims despite prior settlement

A separate class action lawsuit filed in Alabama federal court makes similar claims against Regions Bank on behalf of hourly call center agents nationwide.

A former representative for Birmingham-based Regions claims the bank’s timekeeping system worked only after agents booted up their computers and connected to its network. She says this costs agents eight to 15 minutes of pay per shift.

When updates or technical problems caused delays, Regions allegedly limited or refused pay for the lost time. Regions has allegedly been on notice since at least 2018, when a former employee filed a similar lawsuit that the bank later settled.

Regions operates in 16 states in the South and Midwest.

Both the Regions and Fifth Third class action lawsuits allege violations of federal wage law, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Both plaintiffs demand a jury trial and seek back pay, liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees and costs.

In 2024, consumers filed a class action lawsuit against Fifth Third Bank, alleging it charged unfair fees to people who received checks that bounced.

What do you think of these allegations of unpaid wages at Fifth Third or Regions call centers? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiffs are represented by Robert E. DeRose and Mathias Manner of Sanford DeRose Trial Lawyers LLP; Kevin J. Stoops and Paulina R. Kennedy of Sommers Schwartz P.C.; and Mark R. Miller, Lawrence K. Holcomb and Julia Ozello of Wallace Miller.

The unpaid wages class action lawsuits are Case No. 1:26-cv-01014-JPH, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio; and Case No. 2:26-cv-01680-AMM, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division.