LAS VEGAS (CN) - Dancers at a topless nightclub say in a class action that they are being stiffed on overtime and regular wages, slapped with excessive fees, denied mandatory breaks and forced to wear uniforms at their own expense. Dancer Zuri-Kinshasa Maria Terry filed the suit in Clark County Court against Sapphire Gentleman's Club.
Terry says strippers aren't independent contractors, but regular employees entitled to wages and overtime.
Aside from the lack of overtime pay and not getting regular breaks, plaintiff says she and other dancers are required to work a minimum number of hours in a shift, as much as six hours or longer, and that the club doesn't keep accurate payroll records. She also says dancers are required to wear certain uniforms at their own expense, work certain shifts, and that they're prohibited from leaving work without permission or from leaving with or dating customers.
She also says dancers are required to pay the "house mom," the DJ, the manager, bartenders and security guards part of their money - all on top of their required "house fee" and "off-stage fee" during their shift.
The suit comes a year after the Nevada Supreme Court allowed a similar class action against another topless club to proceed for allegedly violating Nevada's Wage and Hour Laws.
Federal law allows an employer to offset an employee's tips against the minimum wage. State laws prohibits such offsets.
Terry wants all unpaid wages, mandatory breaks and to have Sapphire pay for uniforms and dry cleaning, among other things.
She is represented by Thomas Christensen.
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