Categories: OLD Media Moves

FindLaw writers sue Thomson Reuters

Writers for FindLaw, an online legal publication owned by Thomson Reuters, are suing the parent company for not being paying overtime and not receiving other benefits.

Erin Sherbert of the SF Weekly writes, “Jason Beahm, a local attorney and journalist, started working as a writer FindLaw, an online legal publication owned by Reuters, at its Sunnyvale offices in March 2010, where he says he and his fellow bloggers regularly worked in excess of eight hours a day without compensation.

“The writers were also encouraged to skip lunch breaks and instead churn out copy, said Bill Corman, the attorney representing Beahm.

“The lawsuit covers roughly 50 writers who worked there or are currently employed at FindLaw. Corman said that Beahm made $23 an hour as a full-time staff blogger for the site. The writers were required to write eight blog posts a day.

“Most writers there worked on average 60 hours a week, but they were not paid for the overtime, Corman told SF Weekly.

“‘FindLaw knew that these writers were working in excess of 40 hours a week, but the message was ,’You work as many hours as you need to to get the job done,” Corman says.”