Three former Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. employees have filed a $200 million class-action lawsuit against their ex-employer, alleging denial of minimum wages and overtime pay.

In a suit filed in federal court in San Diego, the employees claim salespeople served as employees but that Northwest Mutual misclassified them as independent contractors, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Employees are not exempt from federal and state wages, while independent contractors are.

The Milwaukee, Wis.-based insurer claims that financial representatives selling its products are independent contractors, not employees, and that prior legal cases affirm that business relationship.

The suit contends that when the financial representatives sold products, they had little or no discretion and needed management approval to make decisions, were required to work more than eight hours per day and more than 40 hours per week without overtime compensation, according to the Journal Sentinel.

A spokesman for Northwestern Mutual told the paper that the allegations are without merit and the company will vigorously defend itself.