MINNEAPOLIS — A judge has ruled against Wal-Mart in a class-action lawsuit, saying the discount retailer violated state labor laws more than 2 million times, including cutting worker break time and “willfully” allowing employees to work off the clock.
Dakota County Judge Robert King Jr. on Monday ordered Wal-Mart to pay $6.5 million in compensatory damages, but Wal-Mart could end up paying more than $2 billion after a jury in October considers civil penalties and punitive damages.
“We believe that this award not only helps the individual clients, but it also sends a message to Wal-Mart that it has to pay for its mistakes,” said Justin Perl, an attorney representing the former Wal-Mart employees named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore said Tuesday that the Bentonville, Ark.-based company disagrees with portions of the judge’s decision and is considering an appeal.
“Our policy is to pay every associate for every hour worked and to make rest or meal breaks available to every employee,” Moore said, adding that many Wal-Mart employees who testified during the trial said they were getting breaks and being paid properly.
