Security officers at the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) have filed a lawsuit against the agency, claiming they were not properly compensated for work performed during mandatory breaks that were automatically deducted from their paychecks.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court in Philadelphia, PPA has a policy requiring security officers to take 30-minute meal and rest breaks while continuing to monitor impoundment lots. However, it claims these breaks are "illusory" because officers must remain on duty, respond to customers, and operate entry and exit gates.
The lawsuit alleges that PPA's actions were willful and deprived workers of regular wages and overtime pay that would have been earned if the breaks had not been deducted from their timesheets. One security officer, Terrez McCleary, has alleged that she was repeatedly dismissed when she complained about the practice to her supervisor on multiple occasions.
The lawsuit also claims that PPA's supervisor allegedly laughed at Ms. McCleary when she said she planned to contact a lawyer. The class-action suit seeks recognition of Ms. McCleary as the representative of a larger group of security officers and awards damages for unpaid wages, attorney fees, and other restitution.
If successful, the lawsuit could result in significant back pay for hundreds of current and former security officers who worked under the disputed policy over the past three years.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in US District Court in Philadelphia, PPA has a policy requiring security officers to take 30-minute meal and rest breaks while continuing to monitor impoundment lots. However, it claims these breaks are "illusory" because officers must remain on duty, respond to customers, and operate entry and exit gates.
The lawsuit alleges that PPA's actions were willful and deprived workers of regular wages and overtime pay that would have been earned if the breaks had not been deducted from their timesheets. One security officer, Terrez McCleary, has alleged that she was repeatedly dismissed when she complained about the practice to her supervisor on multiple occasions.
The lawsuit also claims that PPA's supervisor allegedly laughed at Ms. McCleary when she said she planned to contact a lawyer. The class-action suit seeks recognition of Ms. McCleary as the representative of a larger group of security officers and awards damages for unpaid wages, attorney fees, and other restitution.
If successful, the lawsuit could result in significant back pay for hundreds of current and former security officers who worked under the disputed policy over the past three years.
. I mean, come on, they're basically saying that 30-minute breaks aren't real breaks if you have to keep working while you're supposed to be resting 
. That's just lazy administrative work, if you ask me.
. It's not like this is some kind of joke or anything. People are talking about systemic wage theft here, and you're worried about "illusory" breaks? 
Give me a break (pun intended).
. Fingers crossed this lawsuit goes in their favor and they have to shell out some serious cash 
.
The PPA's policy is just tryna cover the agency's behinds and make sure everything runs smoothly. I get why Terrez was upset, but maybe she shoulda talked to HR or something instead of going straight to her supervisor? 
. Can't believe these poor guys are being ripped off like that. They're literally working hard, doing their job, and then getting taken advantage of when they try to take a break. It's like, fair is fair, right? You gotta give 'em some decent pay for the time they spend on duty.
. They deserve their fair share of the money and some respect from their employers. We should all be rooting for 'em 
.
... and poor terrez mccleary is being super brave for speaking up about this issue and now she's being laughed at by her supervisor? no way 
... the fact that hundreds of people might be owed back pay just because of some outdated policy is crazy to me. can't we just get it together as a society and make sure our workers are treated right? 
. I mean, if you're not getting paid for your breaks, that's just unfair. They're literally stuck there, watching the impoundment lots while still doing their job - it doesn't feel like a break to me. And yeah, that supervisor sounds super unprofessional and maybe even bullied Terrez 
. And I hope it sets a precedent for other workers who might be going through something similar.
. I'm sure this will all get sorted out in court... probably with a bunch of bureaucratic nonsense 
.
The unfair practice of automatically deducting breaks from security officers' paychecks has led to a lawsuit that could result in big payouts for hundreds of workers. It's time for fairness and transparency at the PPA! 
. It's not just about the money; it's about being treated fairly and with respect 
. We gotta keep pushing for change until everyone is treated like they deserve 
.
. It's gotta take a toll on those security officers. And I feel so bad for Terrez McCleary, she's been speaking up and trying to make a change, but her supervisor is being super dismissive 
...
it's like PPA just doesn't care about its employees... anyway, I hope that security officer Terrez McCleary gets what she deserves 
. This is all about exploiting workers, I mean, if they're gonna make them work during their break and deduct from paycheck, why not just pay them more like 
. This lawsuit could bring some justice to all the affected workers and I hope PPA learns from their mistakes 
