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Sunglass Hut/Luxottica Sued by Collective Action for Overtime Wages

July 7, 2004

Five former employees of Sunglass Hut Trading Corporation, a subsidiary of Lenscrafters, Inc. d/b/a Luxottica Group have filed a collective action in United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida charging the company with violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act concerning failure to properly pay overtime and provide working conditions in compliance with the Act. The plaintiffs are represented by Charlip Law Group, LC and Grisales & Jacobs, P.A., firms that are both located in Hollywood, Florida. David H. Charlip of Charlip Law Group, LC, the attorney who is lead counsel on the case, explains "that the suit was filed to address the companyÕs practice of forcing one employee to man a kiosk without any relief, breaks or ability to close the store. Frequently that employee was the "manager" who logged numerous overtime hours without appropriate overtime compensation. The plaintiffs contend that the employer misclassified employees as "managers" so as to avoid payment of overtime wages. We are seeking national employee participation on this collective action and believe that the benefits due are significant and substantial."

Sunglass Hut and Lenscrafters are among the largest, if not actually the largest, retail sellers of sunglasses and prescription eyewear in the United States. These entities do business in every state in the United States including the State of Florida. Sunglass Hut and Lenscrafters are also associated or affiliated with Luxottica U.S. Holdings Corp., a Delaware Corporation. These entities were created as part of the merger and/or acquisition of the Sunglass Hut business entities and the Lenscrafter business entities by Luxottica on or about April of 2001.

Charlip Law Group, LC is a class action, nursing home, personal injury, pharmaceutical and general practice firm. Although located in Hollywood, Florida, Charlip Law Group, LC has a practice with a nationwide scope. The firm currently has cases in California, Washington, Missouri, South Dakota, New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Indiana. The firm is currently prosecuting class or collective actions against Home Depot (overtime wages), Miami-Dade County (asbestos exposure at the jail), and Lynn University (over 20 actions for unauthorized embalmings).

David H. Charlip, Esq.
Charlip Law Group, LC
Harrison Executive Centre
1930 Harrison St. Suite 208
Hollywood, Fl. 33020
Tel.: (954) 921-2131
Fax: (954) 921-2191
Email: dcharlip@charliplawgroup.com