So…we never thought we would see the day when we’d blog about Justin Bieber, but when we read he was being sued by his bodyguard for over $400,000 in unpaid wages and assault, we couldn’t resist. That’s right, not only did the Biebs** allegedly fail to pay his bodyguard overtime, the 5’7″ teen idol also allegedly roughed up his bodyguard during a confrontation last fall.
The bodyguard alleges he was mistakenly told he wasn’t entitled to receive overtime despite working 14 to 18 hour days for about a year and a half. That’s a lot of time protecting Bieber from the throngs of screaming fans and crazed paparazzi. In addition to unpaid overtime, the bodyguard also claims he’s owed vacation and other wage benefits, for a grand total of $421,261.
Our first thought (after laughing about the thought of JB assaulting a bodyguard) was that none of the typical FLSA exemptions would apply to a bodyguard. Then we thought more about coverage, etc., and decided it wasn’t quite that clear cut. Does the bodyguard have a valid claim? Let’s take a look at the Biebs’ legal woes.Continue Reading As Long As You PAY Me: Justin Bieber Sued for Unpaid Wages