[US] Kanye sued over unpaid wages by ex-employee

Entertainer and entrepreneur Kanye West stands accused of breaching California labour laws after allegedly failing to pay one of the designers working for his fashion brand Yeezy, Human Resources Director reports. 

Court documents claimed Mr West was said to have misclassified workers as independent contractors in order to cut down on payments of their wages and benefits The lawsuit - filed by former assistant designer Taliah Leslie - alleged that both the rapper and the management of Yeezy considered staff members to be contractors, although they were assigned the duties of full-time employees. 

According to court filings seen by The Blast, Yeezy also allegedly failed to keep track of payroll and staff work hours.

Additionally, Ms Leslie’s complaint alleged that she had not been remunerated for the times she was required to work off-the-clock - particularly during out-of-town trips - had missed meal breaks and had not been reimbursed for her mobile phone and internet usage and other expenses necessary for business travel. 

The former employee is demanding civil penalties along with other fees in connection with possible labour code violations.

Mr West faces similar complaints from workers connected to the project Kanye West Nebuchadnezzar Opera. They claimed that the entertainer failed to pay them the minimum wage and overtime pay. Some staff members have come together in two class-action suits demanding payment of up to $30m as compensation for their alleged treatment. 

The two other complaints unite nearly 1,000 employees, including actors and backstage production crew like costume designers and hairstylists.

Additional court filings, quoted by The Blast, said, “Defendants oversaw, controlled and ran the production, and the aggrieved employees worked many hours on the production and were not timely paid for their work, or paid at all.” 

Entertainer and entrepreneur Kanye West stands accused of breaching California labour laws after allegedly failing to pay one of the designers working for his fashion brand Yeezy, Human Resources Director reports. 

Court documents claimed Mr West was said to have misclassified workers as independent contractors in order to cut down on payments of their wages and benefits The lawsuit - filed by former assistant designer Taliah Leslie - alleged that both the rapper and the management of Yeezy considered staff members to be contractors, although they were assigned the duties of full-time employees. 

According to court filings seen by The Blast, Yeezy also allegedly failed to keep track of payroll and staff work hours.

Additionally, Ms Leslie’s complaint alleged that she had not been remunerated for the times she was required to work off-the-clock - particularly during out-of-town trips - had missed meal breaks and had not been reimbursed for her mobile phone and internet usage and other expenses necessary for business travel. 

The former employee is demanding civil penalties along with other fees in connection with possible labour code violations.

Mr West faces similar complaints from workers connected to the project Kanye West Nebuchadnezzar Opera. They claimed that the entertainer failed to pay them the minimum wage and overtime pay. Some staff members have come together in two class-action suits demanding payment of up to $30m as compensation for their alleged treatment. 

The two other complaints unite nearly 1,000 employees, including actors and backstage production crew like costume designers and hairstylists.

Additional court filings, quoted by The Blast, said, “Defendants oversaw, controlled and ran the production, and the aggrieved employees worked many hours on the production and were not timely paid for their work, or paid at all.”