A $4.6 million deal between Covelli Enterprises Inc. the nation’s top PaneraBread franchisee and more than 900 assistant managers who alleged Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio overtime violations won final approval from a federal judge, after some modifications.
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The lawsuit, filed in January 2018, accused Covelli of misclassifying Panera assistant managers as exempt from FLSA and Ohio overtime rules. Covelli, which owns and operates more than 300 Panera locations in eight states, later reclassified these employees as non-exempt.
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