$78 Million Meal Break Violation Verdict Against Wal-Mart

This breaking Wal-Mart related story just came to my attention from CNN.com:

A Pennsylvania jury said on Friday that Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, must pay $78.47 million in damages to current and former Pennsylvania employees for forcing them to work "off the clock" or during rest breaks.

On Thursday, a state jury in Philadelphia found in favor of Michelle Braun and Dolores Hummel, formerly employed by Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, saying the company violated Pennsylvania labor laws by failing to pay employees for their work.

The jury found in Wal-Mart's favor on the charge that it denied workers meal breaks.

Along with a recent $172 million verdict in California, these meal break cases (to the extent that they are upheld on appeal) are becoming the largest labor-related problem for the corporate behemoth. Surprising to the say the least.

PS