A nationwide class action lawsuit filed on July 1, accuses Computer Sciences of violating federal and state employment laws by failing to pay overtime compensation to its System Administrators.
According to a release from the Company, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of all System Administrators throughout the United States by the law firms of Outten & Golden, Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson P.C., and Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein in Connecticut federal court. System Administrators install, support, and maintain CSC’s clients’ computer hardware and software, according to the complaint.
Named Plaintiff Joseph Strauch said, “We System Administrators have worked long hours for CSC and its clients, contributing to CSC’s revenues and success. I hope that this lawsuit will enable my fellow System Administrators to get paid in accordance with the law.”
In performing routine hardware and software installation, maintenance, and support work for CSC’s clients throughout the United States, System Administrators often work long hours, including late into the night and on weekends. The plaintiffs allege that CSC has misclassified its System Administrators throughout the United States as exempt from overtime pay under federal and state law, and failed to pay them for all hours actually worked in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), as well as Connecticut and California law.
Such employment law violation allegations are not new to CSC, the law firms said. The company was the defendant in a similar lawsuit, Giannetto v. Computer Sciences Corp., which was settled in 2005 for $24 million in overtime payments to technical support workers.
Plaintiffs’ counsel Jahan C. Sagafi, of Outten & Golden, said, “This lawsuit seeks fair compensation for the many CSC System Administrators who have poured their hearts into ensuring CSC’s success.”
Attorney Daniel M. Hutchinson of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, said, “Legal action is required to remind a technology company like CSC of its obligations under the law not to take advantage of its technical support workers by underpaying them.”
The new case is Strauch v. Computer Sciences Corp., Case No. 14-cv-956 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.
Computer Sciences is a global information technology services company.