NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is facing a proposed class and collective action lawsuit alleging it failed to pay hourly workers for all time worked, including missed meal breaks and off-the-clock duties, according to court records accessed by Becker’s.
A spokesperson for NewYork-Presbyterian told Becker’s the hospital does not comment on active litigation.
The lawsuit was filed May 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by Cynthia Haynes and Willis Ramassar, who worked hourly roles at the hospital. It was filed on behalf of themselves and other workers.
Ms. Haynes worked at the hospital from March 2023 to January 2025, earning about $24 to $27 per hour, while Mr. Ramassar has worked for the system since 1993 and earns about $49 per hour, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges the hospital required employees to perform work before and after shifts and during unpaid meal breaks, while automatically deducting time for those breaks even when workers were not fully relieved of duties.
“Defendants have engaged in a common practice of requiring plaintiffs and similarly situated employees to work without proper pay, including substantial overtime work,” the complaint states.
The complaint also alleges NewYork-Presbyterian used a time-rounding system that favored the employer over time, resulting in underpayment, and failed to properly compensate employees for overtime hours worked beyond 40 in a week.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims workers were not paid for all hours worked, were not reimbursed for certain work-related expenses, and did not receive additional pay for shifts exceeding 10 hours, which is required under New York law.
The proposed collective would include hourly workers nationwide over a three-year period under federal law, and a New York class covering a six-year period.
The plaintiffs are seeking unpaid wages, liquidated damages, interest and attorneys’ fees.
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