Two former employees of Anthem Inc. claim the Indianapolis-based health insurer set work quotas so high that it was impossible to meet them in a 40-hour week, forcing them to work unpaid overtime.
Lita Fillipo, a former Anthem sales employee in Indiana, and Ashley Harris, a membership enrollment specialist in Virginia, filed suit Jan. 3 against Anthem in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis.
They claim Anthem refused to pay them proper overtime compensation, in violation of federal and state wage and hour laws. They are seeking class-action status on behalf of other employees.
Anthem declined to comment to IBJ.
According to the complaint, Fillipo typically worked 70 hours a week to meet her production quota of signing up at least 12 new members a month for Anthem’s private Medicare and Medicaid plans. The quota climbed to 45 new members a month during “open enrollment,” the period between October and December each year.
Harris typically worked about 68 hours a week to input completed enrollment applications into the Anthem system. During most of the year, she had to complete six to eight applications an hour. The plans were offered to large facilities such as schools and businesses.
Anthem “induced off-the-clock overtime hours by creating extreme quotas for their sales and enrollment teams, which they are required to work overtime to meet,” the complaint said.
The company threatened “adverse employment action” against employees requesting to be compensated for their overtime hours, which forced them to work off-the-clock or risk termination for failure to meet quotas, the complaint said. Employees often took calls or input data after hours and on weekends, it said.
Harris worked for Anthem from 2007 to 2019. Fillipo worked for Anthem from August to November 2021.
The complaint seeks class action status on behalf of all non-managerial employees who engaged or facilitated in the enrollment or recertification of clients. The plaintiffs are represented by Lee Litigation Group PLC of New York City.
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Only 12 members a month, and the employee needs 70 hours a week to do it? A motivated agent can enroll 12 in a day.
The 68 hours a week to input enrollment applications is more legit because the insurance industry had/has archaic processes and procedures.