According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the number of lawsuits filed over unpaid overtime has tripled since 1997. The increase in litigation has been attributed to the misuse of manager titles, forced unpaid overtime, and recent favorable overtime rulings by courts. According to the Labor Department,
U.S. companies spend more than $2 billion a year on litigating overtime disputes.
See "White-Collar Overtime Suits Triple Since 1997", Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004