Translators Sue Hospital Conglomerate For Overtime Pay

Cambridge, MAThree women who worked as translators at a Massachusetts hospital conglomerate are suing their employer, claiming they have not received overtime pay since 2006.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">The lawsuit alleges that the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), which runs hospitals in Cambridge, Somerville and Everett, asked the translators to work as contractors beyond their typical 40 hours a week, according to the Somerville Journal. If the allegations are true, it would likely constitute a violation of federal overtime laws, which require that workers to be paid time and a half for every hour they work beyond 40 each week.

"It was a scheme to avoid paying overtime," the translators' attorney told the news source. "They were told this is what they had to do."

According to their lawyer, the women considered making the lawsuit class action but ultimately determined it was not the best course of action.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that translators in Massachusetts typically get paid $24 an hour, which is similar to what one of the women involved in the lawsuit makes, reports the news source.