Lisa Vanderpump and her husband Ken Todd have been hit again with another lawsuit. Vanderpump and Todd own several restaurants in Los Angeles and Europe.
On July 31st, Olivia Beverly Hanson, a former employee of Sur, one of Vanderpump’s L.A. restaurants, which is also featured on her TV show Vanderpump Rules, filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of herself and other former employees claiming violation of multiple California labor laws.
According to court documents, the claim included:
- Failure to pay minimum and overtime wages
- Failure to provide accurate payroll statements
- Failure to provide meal and rest breaks
Hanson worked at Sur for only three months in 2019, but the other plaintiffs named in the suit worked at the restaurant for at least one to four years.
She is requesting for a jury trial and damages for all regular and overtimes wages earned and owed, all tips and gratuities earned but not paid, and unpaid wages for missed meal and rest periods.
Prior to Hanson’s filing, other employees of Sur and Vanderpump’s other restaurants Tom Tom and Pump also filed a class action lawsuit In January 2020 citing the same violations of labor laws.
According to Adam Pierce Antoine, one of the plaintiffs in the suit, Vanderpump also manipulated their timekeeping records to show less hours than they actually worked and failed to pay the minimum wages while in training and when they were on call.
Around the same time, another former employee filed a lawsuit for sexual harassment. This time, the suit was against Vanderpump Dog Foundation. The former employee claimed that she was forced to leave her job after management ignored her reports and complaints.
Sources from the Vanderpump party have not commented much except for saying “These were two disgruntled ex-employees that had been written up with many warnings by management and subsequently let go.”
Employment and labor law violations are not limited to harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. Equally unjust are non-payment of minimum wages, overtime wages and denying the employees their meal and rest breaks.
As an employee, you have the right to claim due wages and benefits as required by California’s labor laws. If your employer is violating any of these laws, contact our expert employment and labor law attorneys at Mesriani Law Group and we will help you get your lost wages and the best compensation for all your damages.
