D.C. District Court Finds that Exotic Dancers are “Employees” Under the FLSA

A strip club in Washington D.C failed to pay its exotic dancers minimum wage, according to a U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. The club claimed that its dancers were “independent contractors”, not “employees”, and therefore not entitled to minimum wages, overtime or other benefits under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), but a the federal judge disagreed. The Court ruled that the dancers should be considered employees, because the club “exercised a significant degree of control over the plaintiffs’ work.” Thus, the club was responsible for paying dancers minimum wages for each hour worked and overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a single week. Thompson v. Linda & A., Inc., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 46078 (D.D.C. Apr. 29, 2011).