Onyx reopened in February, and classified its dancers as independent contractors as opposed to employees. As independent contractors, Onyx did not pay the dancers any wages whatsoever. Instead, all of the money received by the dancers were from tips from customers. Over the course of the last decade, federal courts around the country have found that dancers at strip clubs are employees β not independent contractors.
The determination of whether an individual is an independent contractor or employee is made on a factual case-by-case basis.
However, some specific items that courts look at are: does the company require the workers to follow any work rules?
Does the company schedule the worker? Does the company cover the expenses of the club, stage, payment to DJs, security, etc.? The strippers brought the case complaining that they were illegally classified as independent contractors as opposed to employees. The dancers claimed that they were actually employees β not independent contractors β and as employees they were entitled to minimum wage for each hour they worked. The settlement closed the matter for the 73 strippers who participated in the case.
If you worked at a strip club within the last 3 years and were treated as an independent contractor, you could be entitled to the recovery of lost wages. For more information about other stripper lawsuits in the nation, go to strippersrights. Over 1, dancers joined in the lawsuit and agreed to the settlement.
