The lawsuits over how Kroger handles promotions and overtime pay are not going away, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

The Cincinnati-based grocer has faced more than 20 lawsuits since 2020, according to an Enquirer investigation. Store managers have accused the company of using promotions to avoid paying overtime in an effort to save money.

Kroger recently settled a lawsuit involving 2,500 current and former assistant store managers who said the grocer promoted them to exempt positions so they would not receive overtime pay.

Six employees are suing Kroger, claiming the company gave them titles without supervisory responsibilities and required them to unload trucks, stock shelves and clean floors for 50 or 60 hours a week. According to the Enquirer, the new titles allowed the grocer to avoid violating federal overtime labor laws.

Kroger told the Enquirer it has not misclassified any employees or engaged in wrongdoing. The retailer denies any unlawful or improper treatment of its workers. 

Court documents from several jurisdictions obtained by the Enquirer show a pattern of cases accusing the supermarket operator of using the promotion scheme, referred to as wage theft, against workers over the past five years. Lawsuits have named Kroger banners including Frys Food Stores, Smiths Food and Drug, Marianos, and King Soopers.

Related:No. 17: Whole Foods will transition to Amazon labor framework in December

Marianos has been named in multiple lawsuits. Between 2021 and 2022, court records show the retailer faced another dozen suits alleging labor law violations, the Enquirer reported.

Attorney Jason Conway told the Enquirer the tactic is retails dirty little secret and said Kroger needs to stop abusing its workers.

Wage theft is the second-most common workplace violation and costs workers $4 billion a year, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Walmart, Costco, Target, Giant Eagle and Food Lion have also faced lawsuits over the practice.