FLSA

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In a recently-filed class action complaint, captioned Suchowieski et al v. Verboten (EDNY 16-cv-01295 filed 3/15/16), plaintiffs allege that Brooklyn nightclub and their owners – Jen Schiffer and her husband, John Perez – committed various acts of wrongdoing against their employees. The complaint alleges, for example, that “[d]efendants’ female employees are subjected to persistent sexual…

Read More Sexual Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, and Wage Lawsuit Against Brooklyn Club Verboten
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Here is the recently-filed lawsuit, captioned Kieara Gaskin and Tenia Stuckey v. BK Venture Group LTD d/b/a Jaguars 3 and Starlets NYC, 15-cv-04190 (EDNY filed July 16, 2015), in which the plaintiffs allege that they were not paid properly under federal and state wage laws, and subjected to discrimination and a hostile work environment based…

Read More Entertainers’ FLSA, Race/Sex Hostile Work Environment Lawsuit Against Strip Club
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In Rosas v. Alice’s Tea Cup LLC, 14-cv-8788 (SDNY July 6, 2015), the court emphasized that “the protections of the FLSA are available to citizens and undocumented workers alike”, and entered a protective order precluding defendants from seeking discovery of the plaintiffs’ immigration status, tax returns, or current employers. Plaintiffs asserted that defendants failed to pay them…

Read More Court Denies FLSA Defendants Access to Plaintiffs’ Immigration Status, Tax Returns, or Current Employers
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In Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures (decided July 2, 2015), the Second Circuit addressed a question of first impression in this Circuit, namely, when an unpaid intern is entitled to compensation as an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In this case, unpaid interns working on the Fox Seachlight-distributed film Black Swan or at Fox’s…

Read More Second Circuit Clarifies When Interns are “Employees”, and Entitled to Wages, Under the FLSA
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In Greathouse v. JHS Security, 12-4521-cv (2nd Cir. April 20, 2015), the Second Circuit (panel: Carney, Pooler, Korman) held that, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kasten v. Saint-Gobain (2011), the FLSA’s retaliation provision (29 USC 215) is not restricted to written complaints to a government agency, but is broad enough to prohibit retaliation…

Read More Second Circuit: FLSA Anti-Retaliation Provision Covers Oral Complaints to Employer, Not Just Written Complaints to Government
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In Doyle v. City of New York (SDNY 14-02831, March 4, 2015), the Southern District of New York held, in a case of first impression, that persons who perform court-ordered community service as a condition of an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal (ACD) are not “employees” within the meaning of the federal Fair Labor Standards…

Read More Persons Who Perform Community Service as Condition of ACD Are Not “Employees” Under the FLSA
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What is “work”? In Gibbs v. City of New York (SDNY Jan. 23, 2015), the court held that plaintiffs’ required attendance at alcohol treatment and counseling sessions was not compensable “work” within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201 et seq. Plaintiffs were identified by their employer (the NYPD) as…

Read More Employer-Mandated Alcohol Counseling is Not “Work” Under the FLSA, Court Holds
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In Gayle v. Harry’s Nurses Registry, Inc., 594 F.App’x 714 (2d Cir. 2014) (Summary Order), the court held that the plaintiffs were indeed employees, and not independent contractors. The decision is instructive as to the factors bearing on that analysis. Plaintiffs, a class of nurses, sued to recover unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards…

Read More Nurses Were Employees, Not Independent Contractors, Court Holds
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In EEOC v. Vamco Sheet Metals Inc, the Southern District of New York held that plaintiff – a proposed intervenor in a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – may state a claim for discrimination under Title VII where she was allegedly harassed for breastfeeding her baby. From the decision: Title VII…

Read More Discrimination Related to Breastfeeding May Violate Title VII
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The U.S. Supreme Court held, in Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc. v. Busk (Dec. 9, 2014, Justice Thomas) that the time spent by Amazon.com warehouse workers undergoing anti-theft security screening before leaving the warehouse each day is not compensable time under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In sum: [A]n activity is integral and indispensable to the principal activities…

Read More Amazon.com Security Checks Not Compensable Time, Supreme Court Holds
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