New York attorney general sues UPS, alleging wage theft from seasonal delivery workers before and after shifts and during meal breaks.
NEW YORK: The New York attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit accusing global delivery giant UPS of underpaying thousands of seasonal workers.
The suit alleges UPS committed wage theft against workers vital to handling the annual holiday online shopping surge.
Prosecutors claim UPS repeatedly failed to pay seasonal delivery workers for all hours worked, affecting thousands of past and present employees.
The filing states workers were not paid for labour performed before and after their shifts and during meal breaks.
It further alleges UPS’s timekeeping systems “introduced and compounded” payment errors.
Attorney General Letitia James’s office said these practices deprived workers of millions of dollars.
The lawsuit asks the court to order UPS to pay restitution to current and former seasonal workers.
“Instead of compensating these workers fairly for their labor, UPS has played the Grinch,” James said in a statement.
UPS denied the allegations in a statement, saying it takes all accusations seriously.
“We offer industry-leading pay and benefits to our more than 26,000 employees in New York,” the company stated.
