There are many types of compensation, including tips and other benefits paid to employees. Regardless of how a worker is compensated, there are still laws pertaining to wages and overtime pay. If a Colorado employer is not abiding by those laws and workers feel they are shorted pay, those workers have rights and protections under the law and can pursue a wage and hour claim against that employer. Recently, two former dancers decided to sue the owner of the strip club where they worked for allegedly not paying them correctly.
The dancers contend they were made to pay a house fee for each shift. If they were late, the fee went up. Meanwhile, other employees clocked in and out as a way of accounting for time at work. Software used for tracking the pay checks only registered when the dancers came to work for a shift, and it did not track the number of hours the dancers worked.
The owner of the club says he has never had others complain about not making minimum wage at the club. He also says he provides a nice working environment that allows for the dancers to make more money than minimum wage. The workers are seeking the wages they believe they are due and also want compensated for the cost of legal fees.
Cases involving tips and wages can be complex depending on the work environment and policies employers and employees agree to implement. However, a worker has the right to pursue a wage and hour claim if he or she feels that his or her pay did not meet state and federal requirements. In Colorado and elsewhere, a successful suit can yield back pay or other forms of compensation that can be seen as beneficial for the worker seeking the judgment.
Source: mysanantonio.com, “Strippers allege Tiffany’s shorted their pay“, Guillermo Contreras, March 10, 2015