Leading publisher Electronic Arts may face a class action lawsuit from its own employees over unpaid overtime, it has emerged today, with a Californian law firm currently seeking certification for the class suit. Following on from the publication of a damning commentary on the company"s employment practices - which are also widespread elsewhere in the industry - by the wife of a staff member earlier this week, an internal EA memo was forwarded to the media last night.
Although the authenticity of the memo has yet to be confirmed, the email - which was distributed in late summer to staff members - outlines the class action lawsuit, denies the claims of the suit, but informs employees that they are free to join the suit and will not be retaliated against if they choose to do so. It"s believed that the legal challenge is based on claims that EA improperly classified a number of its staff as being exempt from overtime under Californian employment law.