Class Action Seeks Overtime Pay For Premera Blue Cross Technical Support Workers

SEATTLE — Attorney Kelly M. Dermody of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP has announced the filing April 7 of a class action lawsuit charging that Premera Blue Cross has a common practice of misclassifying its technical support workers as exempt and failing to pay them for all overtime hours worked in violation of federal overtime pay laws.

Premera, and its subsidiaries LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon and LifeWise Assurances Co., who are also named in the lawsuit, employ hundreds of technical support workers nationwide.

Premera’s technical support workers, who work in titles such as System Administrator, System Engineer, IT Analyst, Software Test Engineer, Database Administrator, EDI Specialist, Information Security Administrator, Network Administrator, and Network Specialist, among others, are responsible for installing, maintaining, and/or supporting computer software and hardware. The lawsuit alleges that these workers were unlawfully denied overtime pay.

Current and former Premera and LifeWise employees who perform hardware or software installation, maintenance, or support work who wish to report their work experiences or learn more about the lawsuit can visit http://www.lieffcabraser.com/employment/premera.htm. The Web site allows witnesses and claimants to contact plaintiffs’ counsel.

The lawsuit, entitled Sherrill v. Premera Blue Cross (No. 2:10-cv-00590), was filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The Seattle law firm of Frank Freed Subit & Thomas LLP will serve as co-counsel for plaintiff on the case.

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP is a 60-plus attorney law firm that has represented plaintiffs nationwide since 1972. It has offices in San Francisco, New York and Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit http://www.lieffcabraser.com/index.htm.