Exotic Dancers Are ‘Employees’ Under FLSA, Judge Decides, Certifying Collective Action

Exotic dancers at a Philadelphia strip club were “employees” within the parameters of the Fair Labor Standards Act and may advance overtime and minimum wage claims as a collective action, a federal judge in Pennsylvania decided June 30 (Verma v. 3001 Castor, Inc., 2014 BL 180565, E.D. Pa., 13-3034, 6/30/14).

Former dancer Priya Verma demonstrated that the Penthouse Club operator, 3001 Castor Inc., exerted significant control over the dancers’ appearance, schedules and opportunity for profit so as to render it an FLSA employer, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled. It denied summary ...