Publix sued by former assistant managers who claim they weren't paid overtime

Three former Publix Super Markets employees have filed a federal lawsuit alleging the Lakeland-based grocer regularly forced them to work overtime — at stores and while at home — without pay.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday in the U.S. Middle District of Florida in Tampa and classified as a collective action.  The three employees were all assistant managers and worked at stores in Tennessee, Georgia and Spring Hill.

The lawsuit was filed by Morgan & Morgan in Orlando and the Shavitz Law Group in Boca Raton. The firms are looking to include “similarly situated” employees who worked at Publix within the past three years to join the collective action. A collective action differs from a class action lawsuit in that a person must actively join the suit to benefit. While in a class action, a person has to opt-out of the suit.