Blankenship et al v. Baker Foods Inc

On December 21, 2018, a group of current and former employees led by John Blankenship filed a collective action lawsuit against Baker Foods Inc., a food processing company based in Texas. The plaintiffs alleged that the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by misclassifying production workers as exempt from overtime pay and failing to compensate them for hours worked beyond 40 per week. The workers claimed they regularly worked 50 to 60 hours per week without receiving overtime premiums. The case was brought in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Baker Foods denied liability, arguing that the employees fell under an administrative exemption. The litigation highlighted pervasive wage and hour issues in the food manufacturing sector.

The parties reached a confidential settlement in early 2020, with Baker Foods agreeing to pay $1.2 million in back wages and damages without admitting wrongdoing.

Whether Baker Foods Inc. improperly classified production employees as exempt from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and whether the company failed to pay legally required overtime wages.

The case drew attention to wage theft in the food processing industry and encouraged other workers to challenge misclassification practices. It also prompted Baker Foods to reclassify employees and adopt more rigorous timekeeping systems.