Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) reached a settlement agreement in an overtime class action suit on April 25. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company will pay $14.9 million to current and former computer programmers. The settlement awaits the approval of the Superior Court of San Mateo County, where plaintiffs filed the case in February 2005.

Leander Hasty, who has worked as an engineer for EA for nearly three years, filed suit on behalf of other engineers at the company. The class, which comprises nearly 200 entry-level software engineers, sought undisclosed back pay, damages and penalties for unpaid overtime hours.

The complaint alleged that engineers at EA deserve overtime pay because they “do not perform work that is original or creative, and have no management responsibilities and are seldom allowed to use their own judgment.”

The video game manufacturer adopted a new overtime policy last year in response to a class action suit that alleged unpaid overtime. In that suit, plaintiffs, who were graphic designers for the company, made allegations that EA “acted maliciously, oppressively and/or fraudulently and [with] such despicable conduct designed to maximize [EA's] economic gain.”

EA settled that suit in 2005 for $15.6 million.