In a significant legal move, a former employee has filed a class-action lawsuit against a major supermarket chain, alleging violations of labor laws concerning unpaid overtime. On February 17, 2026, Brandon Dombrowski initiated the complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. and its subsidiary Roundy’s Illinois LLC, which operates under the name Mariano’s.
The lawsuit claims that Roundy’s Supermarkets and Mariano’s have systematically failed to pay overtime wages to department managers who were misclassified as exempt from overtime compensation under both federal and state laws. According to Dombrowski, who worked as a Meat & Seafood Manager at Mariano’s locations in Western Springs and Westmont, Illinois from 2021 through April 2025, he routinely worked over 40 hours per week without receiving appropriate overtime pay. The complaint argues that this practice is widespread across various managerial positions below the level of Store Leader within the company.
Dombrowski asserts that this failure to pay overtime is in direct violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL). He contends that the company deliberately misclassified employees to avoid paying them for overtime work. “Defendants’ unlawful conduct was willful and/or in reckless disregard of their obligations,” states the complaint. It further alleges that store labor budgets were intentionally underfunded, compelling managers like Dombrowski to perform non-exempt tasks typically handled by hourly employees without additional compensation.
The plaintiff seeks not only back pay for unpaid wages but also liquidated damages under FLSA provisions due to what he describes as willful violations by his former employer. Additionally, Dombrowski requests certification of this case as a collective action for other similarly affected employees nationwide and a class action specifically for those employed in Illinois. This would allow others who have been similarly impacted to join the lawsuit.
Representing Dombrowski are attorneys C. Andrew Head and Bethany Hilbert from Head Law Firm LLC based in Chicago, alongside Seth R. Lesser and Christopher M. Timmel from Klafter Lesser LLP located in New York. The case is presided over by an unnamed judge under Case ID: 1:26-cv-01762.
Source: 126cv01762_Brandon_Dombrowski_v_Roundys_Supermarkets_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Illinois.pdf