Orlando — A former employee for a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based private jet on demand start up business recently filed a federal unpaid overtime class action lawsuit against the company, claiming the defendant failed to pay the plaintiff and others thousands of dollars in overtime. The lawsuit is just the latest in a series of adverse events for the company plagued by allegations of payroll difficulties, executives committing fraud, and mismanagement in its human resources department.
The class action unpaid overtime lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida, claims JetSmarter CEO Sergey Petrossov and the company at large violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by refusing to pay workers for all their hours worked, including overtime wages. The plaintiffs claims she and others at the company routinely worked 65 hours or more each week as “shuttle experience managers” fulfilling customer service needs like serving food and drink handling reservations and overseeing boarding for passengers.
JetSmarter’s business model works on clients paying a $14,000 per year fee to reserve travel on private jets with seats traveling across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. Company officials claim the business currently has over 10,000 members, some of which include celebrities. Despite its financial and new legal troubles, the company claims to have raised over $100 million in funding from private investors, putting its valuation at approximately $1.5 billion.
As is the case with so many unpaid overtime lawsuits, the plaintiff claims she and other employees were misclassified as “managers” but did not exercise the type of independence and discretion needed to warrant overtime exempt status. Under the FLSA, only certain types of workers may be paid a flat salary and must perform certain duties in keeping with their profession.
The lawsuit seeks $40,000 for the named plaintiff and intends to represent other similarly affected workers to help them reclaim unpaid wages. Damages under the FLSA include back pay with interest, liquidated damages, court costs, and attorneys fees to cover the expense of litigation.
Customer Service Manager Overtime Pay Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you believe that your wage rights are being violated under the FLSA. Our top-rated team of unpaid wage lawyers will evaluate your situation to determine your best course of action to help you seek justice.
Our office will also determine if it is in your best interest to file a lawsuit against your employer. Because strict time limitations apply for filing these types of claims, we advise you contact our experienced unpaid overtime wage attorneys at your earliest convenience and preserve your legal rights.