EMC Sued over Work Hours

Long hours are legendary among Silicon Valley techies. But one Massachusetts technical support engineer has sued storage maker EMC, claiming he was fired for refusing to work an extended work week.

The Boston Globe reports that Bay State resident Kevin Bujold has filed suit in Massachusetts Middlesex Superior Court, claiming he was fired by EMC after refusing to work an eight-day week of 10-hour days at the company.

The lawsuit, which could ultimately affect numerous workers in Massachusetts, where EMC is headquartered, seeks damages as well as a permanent injunction that would bar the company from its alleged practice of requiring some employees to work an eight-day week each month, the Boston Globe reported.

The suit, which the Globe says was filed Jan. 24, aims to bar EMC from requiring Massachusetts employees from working more than seven consecutive days without a 24-hour break. Damages in the suit, which seeks class-action status, were not specified, however.

An EMC representative, reached by eWEEK, refuted the claims.

“The suit is without merit, and we will vigorously defend ourselves,” said Mark Fredrickson, EMCs vice president of communications, in an e-mail. “Beyond that, we will not comment on ongoing litigation.”

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Whereas federal laws state that salaried and management workers can be required to work longer than 40 hours per week without a break, Massachusetts state law states that employees in manufacturing, mechanical and retail industries can work only six straight days without a 24-hour break, the Globe reported.

Earlier in January, EMC said it will cut 1,000 employees by the end of the year in an effort to eliminate redundant job functions. However, it still expects to see an overall increase in its employee base of more than 20,000 in 2006, the company said.

Editors Note: This story was updated to include a comment from EMC.

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