Mop and Bucket cleaner claims she was fired for complaining about compensation

A Cahokia woman says she was fired from her cleaning job after she complained to her supervisor about improper compensation.

Jessica Bryant filed a lawsuit Nov. 30 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Mop and Bucket Cleaning and Michele Heck, individually and doing business as Mop and Bucket Cleaning.

According to the complaint, Bryant worked for Mop and Bucket cleaning homes and businesses around Cahokia. Bryant claims the company didn't pay per hour and did not compensate enough for travel to and from work sites. She also claims time was deducted for meal breaks, even when none were taken. Bryant alleges Mop and Bucket required employees to deduct time spent driving between clients and regularly left employees without transportation from job sites.

Bryant claims the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act and says she was fired when she reported the alleged illegal activities to her supervisor, Heck, in December 2010.

Bryant also claims on the day she was terminated, Heck came into her home uninvited and refused several requests to leave. Bryant says she called Cahokia Police who charged Heck with criminal trespass.

The former employee accuses Mop and Bucket and Heck of retaliatory discharge and asks for more than $300,000 in punitive damages for lost wages and court costs.

She is represented by attorneys Michael J. Brunton and Mary M. Stewart of Collinsville.

St. Clair County Circuit Court Case No. 12-L-644