Reality tv star and fashion influencer, Kim Kardashian is being sued by seven of her former employees, according to reports. Allegations made against the forty year old include unpaid wages and a ban on taking meal breaks.
Court documents filed in LA this past Monday reveal that the reality star is being sued by seven former employees, TMZ report. The former staff members had worked at the fashion model’s $60m Hidden Hills home as gardeners and maintenance staff.
The lawsuit shows former employees claiming they were told they were being hired as full-time staff, only to be then treated as independent contractors. Further allegations state Kim repeatedly paid wages late, without itemised pay stubs, and that she kept a portion of the wages for tax. The reality star was found to have kept the collected “taxes” from the government and kept to herself, the Daily Mail reported.
According to former staff, Kim also failed to keep track of employee’s working hours, and even failed to pay for overtime. According to the documents, a former gardener claims to have been sacked on the spot for asking Kim directly about overtime and meal breaks. Another employee, who is 16, said he was forced into working past the maximum 48 hours permitted when school is not in session.
Frank Kim of Kim Legal law firm, who represents the former staff, informed the Daily Mail that “wage theft and other workplace violations are a widespread problem in Los Angeles. My firm is currently investigating other potential violations against these defendants, as well as other powerful families and businesses on behalf of everyday workers.”
Meanwhile, Kim’s representative denies the accusations put the reality star at fault, with the employees hired through a “third-party vendor”. They say Kim is not responsible as she was “not party to the agreement made between the vendor and their workers”.
They said she is “not responsible for how the vendor manages their business and the agreements they have made directly with their staff. Kim has never not paid a vendor for their services and hopes that the issue between these workers and the vendor who hired them can be amicably resolved soon.”
Kim launched a number of successful business ventures, including Skims and KKW Beauty, and is worth an estimated $1bn, according to Forbes.
