GameStop is one of the largest retailers in the United States, with thousands of stores throughout the country. Unfortunately, it appears that GameStop, an employer that pays the majority of its tens of thousands of employees the minimum wage allowed by law, uses every means available, legal or otherwise, to avoid paying employees the wages it agreed to pay. In fact, many employees report being forced to work “off the clock,” that is, being required to clock out and then continue working without pay.
GameStop appears to employ a uniform corporate policy of demanding that employees complete all of the tasks assigned in a particular work shift, knowing full well that the tasks assigned require more time to complete than is allotted in that shift. Moreover, GameStop reportedly informs employees that they will be terminated if they are clocked in to the time system beyond their work shifts. As a result, employees are in a bind; they cannot perform the tasks assigned in the time allotted, but they cannot work on the clock without facing termination.
The inevitable result is that employees who do not want to be fired for failing to complete assigned tasks or for working after the end of a shift are forced to clock out and continue to perform the work assigned them. Also troublesome is the fact that GameStop does not pay all of its employees by means of direct deposit or check, but instead, it pays by means of a “Comdata Card” that is akin to a debit card. However, there are numerous fees associated with the use of the Comdata Cards that in effect force GameStop employees to pay for the privilege of being paid and result in an effective rate of pay that is less than the agreed-to hourly rate.
If these allegations are true, then GameStop is engaging in intentional and willful violation of federal and state wage and hour laws. If you work at a GameStop and were not paid for all of the hours you worked, or you had to pay Comdata fees, please contact us to discuss your legal options.