Wal-Mart won an appeal of a 1999 federal court ruling that the company violated federal law by classifying pharmacists as salaried employees, thus denying them overtime pay. It is estimated that the cost of unpaid overtime could reach up to $140 million. The judged who ordered a new hearing said that federal labor regulations allow employers to adjust salaries based on economic conditions and the evidence in the case needs to be more carefully examined.
See "Wal-Mart Wins Appeal in Overtime Ruling", Associated Press, The New York Times, February 1, 2005