Recently, former gardening and maintenance crew workers have filed suit against celebrity Kim Kardashian alleging various California wage and hour violations.
The Plaintiffs claim that the superstar owes them for unpaid labor and overtime hours spent working on her $60 million Los Angeles mansion. The lawsuit claims Kardashian failed to pay them on time, withheld too much from their checks, required them to skip meal and rest breaks, and forced minor crew members to work unpaid overtime.
The lawsuit alleges that not only did Kardashian not pay for the workers’ overtime hours, but she also withheld 10 percent of their paychecks, supposedly for taxes, but instead pocketed the money. Further, a sixteen-year-old plaintiff claims that the celebrity force him to work more hours than permitted under California law.
Upon bringing their concerns to Kardashian’s attention the plaintiffs claim they were fired.
Not surprisingly, a spokesperson for Kardashian vehemently denies the allegations, stating that “These workers were hired and paid through a third-party vendor hired by Kim to provide ongoing services. Kim is not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers; therefore, she is not responsible for how the vendor manages their business and the agreements they have made directly with their staff.”
This lawsuit should shed some light on the ever-evolving area of joint employer liability. If you are a joint employer or an employer that utilizes the services of others and want to ensure you are protected, are looking for advice and/or a review of your employment practices and policies to prevent a lawsuit, please contact the Employer Lawyers at Chauvel & Glatt.
This material in this article, provided by Chauvel & Glatt, is designed to provide informative and current information as of the date of the post. It should not be considered, nor is it intended to constitute legal advice. For information on your particular circumstances, please contact Chauvel & Glatt at 650-573-9500. (photo credit: 123rf.com)
