LOS ANGELES — True Entertainment LLC, the production company for the “Real Housewives” series on the Bravo television network, recently agreed to pay $411,000 to settle allegations with the New York state Attorney General over allegations that the company underpaid its staff. Under the terms of the unpaid overtime settlement, hundreds of production workers, like production assistants and associate producers, employed since January 2009, could be eligible for overtime pay reimbursement.
The Attorney General’s investigation revealed that despite performing similar duties like crowd control, travel arrangements, obtaining photo release forms, and logging footage, many workers were paid a flat salary. Under federal and state labor laws, only certain classes of employees are overtime exempt and must perform specific duties to satisfy the law’s’ requirements.
Furthermore, investigators determined that True Entertainment failed to keep accurate wage and payroll statements documenting all the hours worked and income earned, as required under New York and federal labor law. The Attorney General determined the workers were not overtime exempt and the production company agreed to examine the job classifications for many employees to ensure other entitled workers receive overtime pay.
Am I Eligible for Overtime Pay Under the Law?
The Attorney General further pledged to investigate other production companies in the state to ensure their business practices and employee classifications comply with all state and federal wage and labor laws. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous employers intentionally misclassify workers and bestow titles like “manager” and “supervisor” to try and avoid paying overtime to keep payroll as low as possible.
Under the law, wage theft victims intentionally misclassified by their employers can receive a limited number of years of back pay plus interest, liquidated damages equal to their unpaid wages, and even attorneys fees to cover the cost of litigation. Workers with questions about whether they are overtime exempt and due overtime wages should strongly consider speaking to an experienced unpaid overtime attorney about their case.
Production Assistant Overtime Lawsuit
Call (855) 754-2795 or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review form on the top right of this page if you feel 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 to try and recover unpaid overtime and other wages. 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.