AT&T Services, Inc. and Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC (Hourly-Paid Premises Technicians)

Case Overview

Brown, LLC has filed a collective and class action lawsuit against AT&T Services, Inc. (“AT&T Services”) and Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC (“Illinois Bell”) (collectively, “Defendants”), alleging wage and hour violations under federal law and Illinois law. This case has been filed on behalf of hourly-paid Premises Technicians.

Please note that the filing of a lawsuit does not mean that AT&T Services or Illinois Bell has been found liable. The allegations remain unproven while the case proceeds through the legal system.

Important Disclaimer

These are allegations only. No finding of liability has been made against AT&T or Illinois Telephone Bell Company. The case will proceed through the legal process.

About the Defendants  

The lawsuit alleges that AT&T Services and Illinois Bell jointly employed hourly-paid Premises Technicians who installed, activated, tested, maintained, and repaired telecommunications services and equipment at customer locations throughout Illinois. Premises Technicians allegedly worked with telecommunications wiring, customer-premises equipment, internet and fiber services, Voice over Internet Protocol services, electronic devices, company vehicles, tools, and related equipment.

According to the complaint, AT&T Services administered payroll, issued wage statements, paid wages and overtime compensation, applied payroll codes, and maintained compensation records for Premises Technicians. Illinois Bell allegedly operated or participated in the Illinois field operations through which Premises Technicians performed their work, including reporting locations, supervision, schedules, customer assignments, work methods, vehicles, equipment, productivity requirements, and safety expectations.

Claims in the Lawsuit

The lawsuit alleges that Defendants violated federal and Illinois wage laws by failing to include all compensable pre-shift and post-shift work when calculating Premises Technicians’ total hours worked and overtime compensation.

The principal alleged pay practices include:

Unpaid Device and Application Start-Up Time

The complaint alleges that Premises Technicians were required to use employer-issued phones, electronic devices, dispatch applications, and timekeeping systems to receive assignments and perform their jobs.

Before recording the start of their shifts, technicians allegedly had to power on employer-issued phones or devices, wait for required dispatch and timekeeping applications to load, open and prepare the company electronic systems used to receive assignments, and make the devices and applications fully operation before they could use them to record the beginning of their shifts.

The complaint alleges that the electronic punch function was unavailable until the required device and applications to be powered on and loaded. As a result, technicians allegedly had to perform start-up work before they could access the system used to record their time.

Unpaid Equipment, Supply, and Vehicle Preparation

The lawsuit also alleges that Premises Technicians performed necessary preparation at garages and other assigned reporting locations before recording the start of their shifts. Depending on the work required, technicians allegedly retrieved customer-premises equipment, tools, and supplies from lockers or storage areas and placed or organized those materials in their assigned vehicles.

Technicians allegedly also prepared assigned vehicles and, during warm-weather periods, sometimes prepared required water or hydration materials.

The complaint alleges that Defendants required technicians to be wearing designated company-branded apparel, approved footwear, and required safety equipment and to be fully prepared to begin field work at their scheduled start times.

According to the lawsuit, Defendants discouraged technicians from recording time before the scheduled start without authorization while treating employees as late or subject to discipline if they were not punched in and ready at the scheduled start.

Unpaid Post-Shift Work

The lawsuit alleges that Premises Technicians also performed necessary concluding duties after recording the end of their shifts. The alleged post-shift work included: returning or retrieving equipment and supplies, organizing assigned vehicles, unloading, sorting, or reloading equipment and materials, preparing vehicles and equipment for the next workday, completing required training or administrative tasks, and making required follow-up communications with customers.

The complaint alleges that Defendants discouraged Premises Technicians from remaining punched in after their scheduled end times without prior overtime authorization, even when required duties remained unfinished.

As a result, technicians allegedly recorded the end of their shifts and then continued performing required or permitted work.

Plaintiff Benjamin Jankowski specifically alleges that he regularly remained at the garage after recording the end of his shift to organize, unload, or reload his assigned vehicle and equipment so that he could locate materials and efficiently perform his duties during the next workday.

Scheduled-Time and Overtime-Authorization Practices

The lawsuit alleges that Defendants maintained scheduling, timekeeping, productivity, and overtime-authorization practices that failed to capture all hours worked.

According to the complaint, Premises Technicians were pressured to record precisely scheduled start and end times while also being expected to: be prepared to begin field work at the scheduled start of the day, complete necessary concluding duties, avoid disrupting productivity requirements, and avoid incurring overtime that had not been approved in advance.

Defendants’ Alleged Knowledge of the Unpaid Work

The complaint alleges that Defendants knew or should have known about the unpaid work because they established the technicians’ schedules, readiness requirements, timekeeping rules, device requirements, vehicle and equipment responsibilities, productivity standards, and overtime-authorization practices.

Supervisors allegedly were present at garages and observed, or had reason to know, that technicians prepared devices, equipment, supplies, and vehicles near their recorded start and end times.

Workers Covered

The lawsuit seeks to represent:

All current and former hourly-paid Premises Technicians who worked for AT&T Services, Inc. and/or Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC in Illinois during the covered period but not limited to technicians who performed similar job duties, scheduling requirements, timekeeping, electronic device and application requirements, vehicle and equipment responsibilities, safety-readiness standards, productivity practices, and overtime-authorization policies.

Locations Covered

Federal Law Claims:

The federal FLSA claims cover hourly-paid Premises Technicians who worked for Defendants in Illinois.

Illinois State-Law Claims

The Illinois Minimum Wage Law claims also cover hourly-paid Premises Technicians who worked for Defendants in Illinois.

Time Period Covered

Federal Law Claims:

July 27, 2023, through the present.

Former Premises Technicians may still be eligible if they worked during this period.

For federal FLSA claims, employees generally may recover wages for up to two years before the date they join the lawsuit by filing a signed consent form with the Court, or up to three years if the Court determines that the alleged violations were willful.

Case Status

July 27, 2026: The collective and class action complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

How to Participate

You may be eligible to participate if you worked for AT&T Services, Inc. and/or Illinois Bell Telephone Company, LLC as an hourly-paid Premises Technician in Illinois and believe you performed unpaid work before or after your recorded shift.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the form below so that the wage and hour lawyers at Brown, LLC can assess your eligibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Brown, LLC Be My Attorneys?

Yes, if you sign a retainer agreement and, when applicable, a Consent to Join form. You owe no legal fees unless there is a recovery. If the case is successful, attorneys’ fees may be sought from Defendants rather than from you.

Can AT&T Services or Illinois Bell Retaliate Against Me for Participating?

Federal and Illinois wage laws prohibit employers from retaliating against employees for asserting their wage rights or participating in a wage-and-hour lawsuit.

Do I Have to Be Currently Employed to Participate?

No. Former Premises Technicians may still be eligible if they worked for Defendants in Illinois during the covered period.

What Documents May Be Helpful?

Helpful documents may include pay stubs, schedules, time records, overtime-authorization requests, emails or text messages pertaining to start and end times, instructions regarding company phones, applications, vehicles, tools, or equipment, dispatch or assignment records, vehicle records, communications regarding productivity requirements, and communications with supervisors about unpaid work.

Will I Have to Testify or Provide Documents?

Possibly, but not necessarily. Wage-and-hour cases often rely heavily on employer payroll, personnel, organizational, timekeeping, ticketing, project, and electronic-communication records. Preserving relevant documents you already possess can still be helpful.

How Long Will the Case Take?

Litigation timelines vary depending on the Court’s schedule, the complexity of the case, settlement discussions, discovery, and how Defendants respond. Wage-and-hour cases often take two to three years, although the timeline may be shorter or longer.

Contact Information

If you have information related to the allegations or believe you may be affected, please contact the wage-and-hour team at Brown, LLC.

All inquiries are confidential. Accommodations can be made for calls after hours or on weekends.

Contact: Brown, LLC – Wage and Hour Team

Phone: (877) 561-0000

Email: flsagroup@jtblawgroup.com