Kim Kardashian Sued for Labor Violations

In a California court last week, seven employees of the reality star Kim Kardashian claim that she violated multiple labor laws and owe her workers thousands of dollars in damages. According to the lawsuit, Ms. Kardashian failed to pay her employees overtime, cover expenses, or provide legally mandated work breaks while cleaning and maintaining her home. The work in question occurred at her home in the Santa Monica mountains in Los Angeles County.

The employees claim that they are owed over $25,000 in damages as well as that Ms. Kardashian withheld 10% of their pay for taxes but never reported their employment to the Internal Revenue Service. Furthermore, the employees claim that they never received pay stubs, were not paid regularly, were not given a means to record their time, and were not paid the final wages owed upon termination of employment.  

California Legally Mandated Breaks

Non-exempt employees, such as those in the Kim Kardashian lawsuit, are protected by California’s wage and hour laws that include legally mandated meal and rest breaks. State law requires that non-exempt employees must receive a 30-minute lunch or meal break if they work more than five hours in a day and that the meal break must be provided within the first five hours. Employees who work more than 10 hours in a given day are legally entitled to two 30-minute meal breaks.

In addition, rest breaks are legally required for non-exempt employees who work more than three and a half hours per day. These workers are entitled to a 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked. The rest breaks must be counted as time worked and must be considered paid time. To the extent that it is possible, these breaks must also be provided during the middle of the workday and not at the very beginning or the very end.

Compensation for Labor Law Violations

California employees are allowed to file a lawsuit against their employer for damages if their labor rights are violated while on the job. This includes violations of meal and rest breaks as required by law for non-exempt employees. Employers who violate meal and rest break rules are required to compensate their employees one hour’s pay for each violation of a 30-minute meal break or 10-minute rest break that occurred.

If employees are retaliated against for reporting meal and rest break violations, they may also be entitled to additional compensation for retaliation. If the employee was subjected to an adverse employment action like demotion or termination they may be entitled to back pay, benefits, reinstatement, and more.

Talk to an Employment Lawyer Now

Do you believe that your employer has violated your labor rights when it comes to meal and rest breaks or other wage and hour violations? If so, you should speak with an experienced employment law attorney in your area as soon as possible to receive an evaluation of your claims and learn more about your legal options.