Steak 'n Shake gets $7.7 million tab for St. Louis-area manager overtime in latest blow to chain

ST. LOUIS — The Steak ’n Shake chain of restaurants owes St. Louis-area managers and their lawyers $7.7 million after a federal judge’s order earlier this month, and it is facing a demand of millions of dollars more for managers around the country.

On May 10, U.S. District Judge John Ross ordered the company to pay more than $6 million in back pay to managers and over $1.6 million in attorneys’ fees and costs.

The award came in a 2014 suit filed on behalf of St. Louis-area managers who said they were not being compensated for the overtime hours they worked. Brendan Donelon, one of their lawyers, said the “managers” were paid a salary but did the same type of work that the hourly employees were doing and did not have the type of managerial duties that would make them exempt from overtime rules.

Donelon said Ross’ May 10 judgment doubled a March jury award, as required under state and federal wage and hour laws.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/steak-n-shake-gets-million-tab-for-st-louis-area/article_4dd9146a-10c5-54ac-b026-670e8c03193a.html?