Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota is facing a claim filed by the company’s former medical director, who alleges the company ignored his concerns about unethical insurance practices.

The whistleblower alleges that pointing out what he described as illegal insurance practices cost him his job. Dr. Kenneth Fischer, former director of behavioral health for Noridian Mutual Insurance Co., which does business as Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBSND) North Dakota, claims BCBSND’s practices were costing its customers millions of dollars in higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs, according to WDAY.com. More Former Blue Cross Blue Shield Medical Director Claims he was Sued for Fighting Illegal Insurance Practices

The family of a now-deceased, life-long plumber has filed a lawsuit against a local plumbing company, claiming it is responsible for repeatedly putting the man in contact with asbestos, which led to his fatal mesothelioma.

While working for A. Mormile Plumbing & Heating, the man was repeatedly exposed to asbestos fibers and dust, the lawsuit claims. The suit alleges the company should have been aware that their asbestos products would result in the release of asbestos fibers into the air, creating danger and risk of injury and harm to those breathing it in., leaderherald.com said. More Deceased Plumber’s Family Blames Employer for Asbestos-Related Mesothlioma

A New York restaurant chain has agreed to pay just over $1 million for failing to fairly pay employees.

The U.S. Labor Deapartment said Asian Moon of Garden City and Massapequa Park, and Golden Rod in New Rochelle agreed to settle the federal charges after being accused of failing to pay 255 workers minimum wage and overtime. Most of the violations occurred in Long Island. Vickie Sue Lee, the chain’s president, was also a party to the settlement, said Newsday. More New York Restaurant Chain to Pay $1 Million To Settle Federal Charges

1,700 New York store managers have reached a preliminary settlement to an overtime class action lawsuit filed against the discount store Family Dollar.

According to the Associate Press, the Matthews, North Carolina-based company said it will pay a maximum of $14 million, however the terms have not been finalized, and the settlement must still garner court approval, a process that has not started yet. More Family Dollar Wage Class Action Lawsuit Settles

As the recession continues and the unemployment numbers remain higher than average, workers across the country are fighting for fair wages. In fact, according to Bloomberg, wage, hour, and overtime lawsuits have reached a 20-year high.

According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in 2000, the total number of wage and hour lawsuits reached 1,854, while the number of federally filed lawsuits in the year ending March 31, 2012 hit 7,064. More U.S. Wage and Hour Lawsuits Reach 20-year High

The two interns who filed a class action lawsuit against Fox Searchlight are trying to amend the lawsuit to “broaden the scope of the case to include all interns who participated in Fox Entertainment Group’s internship program.”

The Hollywood Reporter writes that a court filing says that an investigation “shows that the same hiring, personnel and company policies that applied to Searchlight interns applied to all interns who participated in FEG’s internship program.” More Internship Class Action against Fox Expanded

A federal judge has approved a final settlement between United Airlines and contracted skycap workers after the workers filed a lawsuit saying United violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by paying them less than minimum wage, and by not allowing them to keep all tips made, USA Today reports.

The lawsuit said the skycaps had to pay the $2 fee imposed by the airline for each passenger bag that was checked curbside to the airlines, to the airlines. Because not all customers paid the fee, the skycap employees sometimes had to pay the fee out of their tip money. Skycaps are generally paid less then minimum wage because most of their wage is paid by tips by airline passengers. However, the lawsuit alleged that because the skycaps were not allowed to keep all their tips, the airline was not entitled to take the tip credit against minimum wage laws. More United Airlines Settles Skycap Wage Lawsuit of $250,000

Nearly 1,550 home health aides who worked for a New York home care agency between April 2004 and December 2011 will share a $1.1 million class action overtime lawsuit settlement, which was approved by New York Supreme Court Judge Paul Wooten and accepted by lead plaintiff Josefina Toledo Montero.

Current and former employees will receive a portion of the settlement based on the number of overtime hours that were not paid according to state law. McMillan’s is also required to appoint an administrated to handle reimbursement and wage complaints, Crain’s New York Business reported. More McMillan’s Home Care Agency Settles Wage and Overtime Lawsuit for $1.1 Million

It’s a little known fact that the Fair Labor Standards Act has a broad definition of the term “employer” as which it includes “any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer,” leaving managers, supervisors, and human resource professionals potentially and personally liable in wage and overtime lawsuits.

As an explanation of the law, Business Management Daily gave the following recent case as an example. Apartment maintenance worker Victor filed a lawsuit saying he was not paid for many of the hours he worked. He named his employer in the lawsuit, of course, but also named his supervisor Jennifer. Jennifer tried to have the charges against her dismissed but the court found that because Jennifer handled time sheets, had control over Victor’s schedule, and disciplined employees, she was liable under FLSA guidelines for any employee wage and overtime violations. More Managers Can Be Held Personally Liable in Wage Lawsuits

Seventeen former and current employees of Hi-Tek Car Wash in Brighton Beach, New York have filed a federal wage lawsuit against company owners, alleging they earn less than minimum wage including tips.

The lawsuit was filed with the help of WASH New York, a Make the road New York and New York Communities for Change campaign which is backed by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, the NY Daily News reports. More Brighton Beach Hi-Tek Car Wash Hit with Wage and Overtime Lawsuit